Parallels
by Inuma Asahi De
Summary: The Tournament of Power: Universe 6 and Universe 7 are nearly identical. There is only one difference between them. A difference that makes everyone uncomfortable...except Master Roshi. A Saiyan female who claims to be the mother of Kakarot and Bardock. Who is she? What is her story? And how does it parallel Son Goku's own? Canon Pairings-ish
1. Differences

**Chapter One:**

**Differences**

Goku gasped as the tournament arena came into view before them. The faint light generated by Whis' unnatural, angelic abilities cast the arena in a transcendental hue of white, making the top like structure blur at just the edges. Clouds of every color wafted through the eerie void of the space between universes. For any normal person, the sight would make their skin crawl and their stomach knot. But, Son Goku wasn't all that normal.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins and his nostrils flared as his fingers began to twitch with nervous anticipation. The bubble that had contained them, formed by Whis as it were, burst, and the stage was no longer masked by its shimmer. A million sounds filled Goku's sensitive ears. The milling of people. The quiet whispers made by warriors who either feared the sound of their own voices or didn't want to be overheard. The shifting feet of the other members of the z-fighters, and the murmur of their own amazement at the sights all around them.

Ignoring Whis and Beerus, who gave the group last minute commands before disappearing into the spectator bleachers that hovered on the outskirts of the ring, the pure-blooded Saiyan inhaled sharply, reveling in the scents of sweat and fighters.

Beside him, his son glanced in his direction, "Otou-san?" Gohan reached up to adjust his non-existent glasses out a habit and froze.

He had taken his glasses off, leaving them at home where they were safest. He really didn't need them to fight. After all, he barely used his vision to fight as it was. Still, when one does something too long, it becomes habit, like a part of the self. And, just like smoking or drinking, Gohan dropped his hand and wished he had his habit at the moment. It was nice to hide behind frames.

Goku sent his son a crocked smile that Gohan had known since the day he was born, "It's big, isn't it?"

Immediately, a raggedy, old voice chuckled, "That's what she said."

"Master Roshi!" Krillin glared at the old man who was laughing loudly at his own joke. "Time and place!"

"There's always a time and place for a well-placed joke!" The old coot continued to laugh as the rest of the team collectively sighed.

Tien stared at their master openly, "I thought you underwent some training—."

"It's best not to talk about it," Krillin shuddered. "I'm pretty sure Puar has PTSD now for no reason."

Blushing, Gohan shook his head and glanced around the ring. There were several small groups of people hanging about. The other universes they would have to beat in order to live. The very thought made his nervousness grow tenfold. This wasn't like all the other times they had fought. Throughout his childhood, he had faced many foes. The Saiyan's, his own uncle included, Frieza, the Ginju Force, Garlic Jr., the androids, Cell, Majin Buu, and so on. When they had faced each of them, it had been them versus evil. The good protecting the innocent, but this time was different.

Dark eyes, the same as his father, scanned the small ten member teams around them. There were already three universes present with ten member teams each. Thirty people waiting for another fifty to appear. All of them were doing the same thing Gohan was, scanning the crowd with the same suspicion reflected in their own eyes. And, even though he knew he shouldn't, Gohan couldn't help but wonder what their stories were.

Were they good? Were they evil? Were they like him? Were they used to protecting the innocent? Did they have a family at home, counting on them for survival? Were they scared?

"That's weird." Krillin's voice drew the whole team to look at him with the exception of Vegeta who, per usual, ignored everything and everyone.

"What?"

"Look over there," The small bald man pointed across the ring towards one of the groups. "Is it just me or—is that Vegeta?"

Even Vegeta looked this time. Whipping their heads around towards one of the other groups, the z-fighters all went stiff with wonder. Standing across from them, a little to the left, huddled around the straight pole in the center of the ring was themselves.

"Is that," Seventeen crossed his arms over his chest. "Our parallel universe?" His soft, almost unassuming voice filled their ears. "The one you fought before?"

"Yes." Gohan confirmed wishing he had his glasses. "But—Vegeta wasn't there when we fought against Universe 6 the first time. The only Saiyan was a young one named Cabba, and we never got a chance to talk to him about his planet really. There wasn't enough time."

"He said," Vegeta took over stiffly. "That his planet was destroyed like ours by Frost's older brother—Frieza."

"Thank Kami-sama," Krillin wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead. "Frieza didn't have a brother in our universe."

"Only four of 'em over there were at the other tournament," Goku informed as he crossed his arms over his chest while simultaneously bringing one hand up to rub his chin, mirroring his son. "Hit and Cabba—Auta Magetta and Botamo. The rest are new faces-well-ish."

The z-fighters allowed themselves to carefully survey the group. Far away as they were, they could all recognize the familiar faces.

"There's Piccolo," Tien mumbled. "Vegeta—some strange, red guy," The three-eyed man chuckled loudly, "He looks kind of like a boar, doesn't he?"

"I don't see you though, Tien, or Master Roshi." Krillin clicked his tongue loudly. "Or Seventeen and Eighteen. They're missing a lot of us."

"Who cares!" Interrupting, Master Roshi lowered his glasses and whistled, "Look at the babe!"

The group's attention snapped towards the 'babe' as she stepped out from behind Piccolo. She was pretty tall, nearly 5'6 which was gigantic compared to Eighteen, Chichi, Videl, and Bulma who all stood under 5'2. Her black hair hung loosely around her shoulders, spiking up along her left temple and the back of her head ever so slightly. A set of bangs ran along her forehead, nearly obscuring her dark eyes in places where they were a little too long. Her irises were dark, matching her pupils and shone brightly out of her somewhat narrowed gaze. It looked as if she normally held her eyes wide opened but was now intentionally keeping them half lidded, hidden.

Her slim body, muscular yet soft in an odd sort of way, was contained by a tight-fitting, dark navy-blue sports bra. A pair of orange yoga pants that were just as tight reached down her legs all the way to her ankles where they disappeared into slim, navy combat-boots. Really, the whole outfit looked wholly impractical for fighting. It looked more like a gym getup Bulma would wear to talk on her phone and walk around the house than something meant for a battle to the death.

"She's a Saiyan."

The groups' attention diverted to Vegeta.

"Looks old enough to have been born on the planet." The prince gutted his chin towards the woman.

"Seems possi—," Gohan's voice stopped dead in his throat as another member of the group caught his attention. Despite his poor vision, he recognized his father's face and hair on a younger man's body. "Is that Otou-san?"

"Huh?" The collective noise ran through the group as they looked at a teen sitting on the ground at the base of the pole.

He was leaning back on his palms, one knee upturned and the other laying on the ground. He was dressed in a gi very similar to Goku's in color but not in design. It was more Chinese than Japanese. The top was a deep navy blue and loose on his body. The sleeves were long, reaching his wrist, and the shirt itself hung down passed his waist. He didn't have a belt; instead, the uniform was closed with white, frog buttons that ran from his throat all the way down the front to the shirt's hem. His pants were the same orange as Goku's but looser, and he didn't wear boots. Instead, he wore the same shoes as Krillin, traditional.

Suddenly, the boy leaned his head back, a loud laugh billowing forth, and that was when the z-fighters finally noticed the man sitting a bit away from him, also on the ground. How the group had missed the other man until now was up to debate.

"That's Gohan." Piccolo growled as he looked at the man sitting across from the teen.

"Are you sure?" Krillin mumbled.

The man looked like Gohan, but there was something off. The clothes were just like the other boy, a traditional wushu uniform, which was what made him look off, perhaps. But there was more to it than just clothes. His chin was Gohan's. His eyes were virtually the same as Gohan's, a bit narrower maybe. And, his spiky hair with the one lock that fell over his forehead was—well—identical to Gohan's in his final form. Yet—

"He's too tan." Eighteen grunted as she rested one hand on her hip.

"You're right. Wow—," Krillin smirked at his young friend, "You look good with a tan, Gohan. More like your dad."

Gohan shifted awkwardly. "I wonder what caused such a subtle change?" He muttered while scanning the boy sitting with _him_. "The man across from me looks younger than me." He bit his lip, "But if that's the case—that can't be Otou-san."

Having been quiet since the female Saiyan stepped out, Goku furrowed his eyebrows. There was something very strange running up and down his spine. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, yet he was unnerved. The anxiousness he always felt before fighting, the good swirling in his stomach, had been replaced by a gnawing, grating feeling that he hadn't felt in years. In fact, the first time he actually recalled feeling it was when he had been briefly reunited with his grandfather as a child. Then, he felt it again when he had seen Chichi at the world's martial arts tournament as a teenager. He had even felt an inclining of it when he saw Raditz for the first time as an adult and when future Trunks had first appeared to tell him of the androids.

He had felt it when he looked at all of them. A sense that he should know something but was unable to bring it to the forefront of his mind.

A sense of knowing without knowing.

Sometimes it felt like his whole life was a sense of knowing without actually knowing anything. He knew that was because he was a bit slow in the head at times, but right now, it wasn't because he was slow in the head. He didn't know how he knew that, but he knew he wasn't missing something because he lacked intelligence. He was missing something because he lacked information.

Still, as Goku looked at the boy on the ground in front of the oddly tan, narrower eyed Gohan, the sense of knowing swelled all around him, and he knew without having to know who the boy was, "That's Goten." He felt fondness seep into his voice.

Gohan's head snapped towards his father and then back around towards the boy. He squinted slightly, searching the distant face. In the recesses of his memory, Gohan vaguely recalled his parent's wedding photo. In that photo, his father's face had looked a lot like the boy on the ground. He was probably about the same age his father had been in that photo, after all.

Abruptly, the boy's head lulled to one side, and he looked directly at the z-fighters. His face contorted into a wince of confusion and then split into a wide grin; the mirth dancing in his black eyes reminding everyone of Goku. Quickly, he turned to the other Gohan and said something, but he was much too far away to hear. Then, abruptly, he stuck his tongue out at something the other Gohan had said and jumped to his feet.

"Oi!" The other Gohan yelled after him as the Goku look alike sprinted across the arena.

Tension ran through all the z-fighters. The boy was approaching fast. His spiky hair that stuck out in the same exact directions as Goku's was whipping up in the artificial breeze his movements created.

"Hallo!" He smirked as he skidded to a halt in front of Gohan. The strange accent in his words catching everyone off guard, "Wie gehts, mein bruder?"

The z-fighters stared. No one knew exactly what to say as the Goku-clone looked at Gohan's stunned face expectantly.

"Ano—," Gohan tried to speak, but his voice fell flat.

"Bist du okay?" The boy muttered, appearing confused. It was at that moment that Vegeta stepped forward.

"Er sprecht diese sprache nicht." The Saiyan prince spoke back remarkably easily. "Er sprecht standardsprache. Nicht Saiyan." Explanation done, Vegeta cleared his throat, "The boy speaks Saiyan-go." He explained to the rest of them, bluntly.

All mirth left the boy as he looked straight at Vegeta. A coldness overtook his whole expression. His features became notably angular, and if it were at all possible, he didn't look like Goku for a moment. He looked like someone else entirely that none of the z-fighters could actually pinpoint.

"Bardock!" The voice rang out. It was Gohan's voice but a bit deeper. "Was machst du?"

"Um," The boy turned and looked at the other man behind him. Suddenly, he flushed and cleared his throat with a bashful smile that was 100% Goku. "Nichts."

The Gohan-look-alike rolled his eyes and glanced towards the people around him. Unlike the younger man, he seemed more reserved. "Gomen nasai," He apologized in perfect Japanese. The kindness and politeness that naturally seemed to flow through their Gohan's voice present in his own as he bowed. "My brother is an idiot."

"Hey!" The younger man growled slightly and ducked his head. "Am not."

Glaring out of the corner of his eye as he raised back up, the Gohan-look-alike shook his head. "We're from Universe 6." He smiled slightly, but the expression lacked complete genteelness. "I'm Kakarot."

The z-fighters all went rigid at once. Blinking rapidly, Goku pointed at himself and blanched. "That's my name—well—my Saiyan name anyway." He stumbled a bit, never having gotten used to having two names. "Everyone calls me Son Goku, but on Vegeta-sei I was called Kakarot. At least, that's what my dead brother and Vegeta called me, anyway."

"Huh?" Kakarot mirrored Goku's dumbfounded expression.

The younger brother stared at Goku opened mouthed and wide eyed. "How bizarre," He muttered in Japanese while he looked Goku up and down. Then, he turned hastily towards his elder brother, eyes scrutinizing, "He looks just like me but has your name!"

Kakarot shook his head as he gazed at Goku and then glanced towards the man who looked like a lighter version of himself. "I have so many questions," Kakarot muttered. "None of 'em good." He shook his head back and forth before glancing up at Gohan who, despite looking remarkably similar, was about four or five inches taller than him. "What's your name?"

Startled by the bluntness of the inquiry, it took Gohan a minute to answer, "Son Gohan."

This made Kakarot's eyes narrow, but not in a glare. He glanced at his younger brother and the two made eye contact. Wordlessly, a conversation seemed to take place between the two before Kakarot turned back to Gohan and straightened a bit.

"The humans," He paused and glanced behind himself, briefly, searching for something. He either found it or gave up because he turned back within seconds. "Um—they call me that too. Gohan, I mean." This revelation intrigued the z-fighters greatly. "When I'm fighting though, I go by my Saiyan name." His eyes swiped to his left, looking at Goku. "Kakarot."

"I'm the same way," The younger brother chimed in. "I go by Bardock in a fight, but on Earth, the humans call me Goten."

"I see. Your timeline must be different from our own." Gohan tilted his head to the side in thought. "But just slightly."

"How do you think they vary?" Kakarot questioned as he too seemed to be drawn into some sort of thought process that no one else besides a Gohan would be able to follow.

"Must be something with our father," Gohan concluded quickly. "I mean—did he give you your Saiyan names?"

"No." Both boys quickly answered. The hardness in their words caught the z-fighters off guard. There was a definite bite to the way they snapped out the negative reply.

Clearing his throat, the older brother continued on, "Our mother did."

Ignoring the biting tones, Goku smiled vaguely, picturing his wife in the back of his mind, but the smile soon faded as he fully processed what the boy had said. There was no way in hell his wife would have ever allowed him to call her two-darling boys by a thug name. He loved her with all his heart, but he knew exactly where the line rested in her patience for his fighting and 'gang' activity. That's probably why he liked her. As Vegeta had said, Saiyan women weren't pushovers, and his instincts probably craved a woman who fought back. Which Chichi did—in more ways and places than one.

"That's insane," Goku finally managed to find his voice, but it was apparent he was highly entertained. "I can't imagine Chichi giving you Saiyan names."

"Chichi's not our mom," Bardock made a strange sound as he blew air from his pursed lips. It almost sounded like disappointment. "Sagie's our mom," He jutted his chin over his shoulder, towards the Saiyan woman who was standing with her own group. Even though she was a good thirty feet away, her eyes were latched onto them, protective. "She gave us our Saiyan names."

"Sagie?" Goku spoke up, voice strange in his throat as he looked from one kid to the other. Up until this point, Goku had been sure these two boys were his sons. It was that unnerving knowing in his gut. He knew. Names and skin color be damned. These two boys were his, but—they weren't Chichi's.

And that made him feel nauseous.

Snarling, Vegeta stepped deliberately forward, "What the hell are you talking about? That woman can't be your mother!"

Both brothers glanced at one another before looking at Vegeta with odd suspicion in their gazes. "Um—she is." Bardock sent his brother a deliberate raised eyebrow. "You really are a jackass no matter which universe you're in, huh?"

This made everyone collectively gasp. They had never in their life heard anyone speak to Vegeta that way. And, even more so, they had never heard someone who looked so much like Goku speak so bluntly. And, even more so than that, they had never thought one of Goku's children—at least potential children—would speak that rudely to anyone. It was just all sorts of wrong.

"What do you mean by that, boy?" Vegeta edged forward, clearly agitated.

"Exactly what he said," Kakarot stepped in front of his younger brother. He seemed to grow in height as he looked down at Vegeta. Although he was noticeably shorter than Gohan, he was still taller than Vegeta, but not by much. "Got a problem, jackass?"

"Wait," Gohan cut in. His voice was edgy as if he had just put two and two together and come out with five. "That woman, the Saiyan, she's your mother, right? But—what about your father? Is he a Saiyan, too?"

"Huh?" Kakarot turned towards his look alike, blinking. He seemed downright baffled by the question. Untensing, he snuck his tongue out and wetted his lips, "Yeah."

"So, you're," Gohan tried to put it all together, but it was just too weird. "A pure Saiyan?"

"Yeah," Kakarot looked more confused. "Aren't you?"

"No." Gohan looked at the other version of himself, trying desperately to process his own words. Glancing towards the glaring woman the boys had indicated was their mother, he gulped. That woman wasn't Chichi—that was obvious. "My mother," His eyes lowered. "Is human." He whispered and the sound of his voice left a dead space between himself and everyone else around him.

A weird feeling went through Gohan that he would never be able to explain in a million years. He felt sick. His mother was his mother. He loved her. She was loud and tedious at times, but she loved him wholly and unconditionally. He had never thought otherwise. She had always fought tooth and nail to do what she thought was best for him even if she was wrong. And out of her ferocious love, she had given him opportunities that he appreciated wholly as an adult. She had given him the chance to be a peaceful scholar, something he loved, and she absolutely adored Videl and Pan, the people he loved. She helped in so many ways, cooking for them after Pan was born, cleaning for them while Videl was recovering from the birth. All he had to do was call and Chichi would be there to help him and Videl or babysit (if Piccolo wasn't around).

Looking up at his counterpart, he wondered how this man's life differed from his own. Without Chichi as his mother, what had changed? The very thought of the possible answer to that question made him sick to his stomach. Blinking, he glanced towards his father to gauge his own reaction.

Goku looked completely shell shocked.

It actually surprised Gohan in a way. Even though he had vivid memories from his childhood of his father and mother being affectionate with one another (most of the kissing and hugging between the two stopped the second he entered the room—his parents were oddly private about their affectionate moments), he had always sort of wondered about the twos' relationship. Of course, he had a brother, so he knew it couldn't have been too—he didn't want to think about that any more than he already had.

Still, to see the actual horror on his father's face made Gohan realize, from an adult perspective, that his father really did care about his mother. Despite the rather brash way his father treated her at times and the rather abusive way his mother treated his father in return, the two mattered to one another. And, for whatever reason, Gohan liked knowing that.

Kakarot's eyes went a bit wide as he seemed to put together the problem Gohan was experiencing. "But—our universes parallel, so we should be the same person, share the same blood, right?" He moved his arms opened wide as he spoke, demonstrating his confusion with their every movement. "So, we should have the same mother and father."

"I thought so too, but—." Gohan looked at the other version of himself.

He was running the numbers, so to speak. If Chichi wasn't this man's mother, that was one thing, but something else had just dawned on Gohan. Something that, until this point, he hadn't put together, and it was so obvious, it was painful. Two and two hadn't been equaling four since the start of the conversation. This version of himself hadn't greeted Goku. Neither boy had acknowledged him beyond commenting on the similarities between him and Goten—well Bardock. It was as if neither recognized the man who bore a striking resemblance to both.

It was like—they didn't know their father.

Staring down at the man who should have been him, but couldn't possibly be, Gohan stuttered, "Where's you-u-r—?"

"Kakarot—Bardock," A new voice interrupted, cutting off Gohan's all too important question. This one was soft and feminine but with a hard edge that demanded to be listened to. "Warum horst du deine Mutter nicht?"

Both boys turned looking somewhat sheepish as the Saiyan woman from earlier stood just behind them. Her black eyes appeared cool and collected, but there was a disappointment in them that made all the z-fighters feel suddenly small. Her hands were crossed under her breast, the sports bra barely containing them, even though they were average sized at best.

"That should be illegal!" Master Roshi spoke from his position beside Krillin. His mouth was opened, and he was staring right at the Saiyan woman's chest.

Sagie glanced down at the old man, one eyebrow twitching with disgust and irritation. Her lips pulled back in a sneer as the old man inched his way towards her, two hands outstretched, palms opened as if prepared to grab. A vein appeared on her forehead, and she clutched a fist.

"Dummkopf!" She screamed and slammed the fist into the old man's head, sending him flying.

"Hey!" Someone yelled from some distance off, "Shouldn't she be disqualified?"

"Defense against sexual harassment is always permissible, according to the rules," The Grand Priest spoke calmly from his position in front of Zeno-sama, waiting for last minute arrivals, so the tournament could start.

"Thank you!" Sagie called in English towards the Grand Priest while flashing him a victory sign.

"But of course." The Grand Priest lowered his head respectfully before returning to his duties.

Clicking her tongue, Sagie turned back towards her sons, "Erklaren sie beiden."

"Ma," Kakarot spoke first. "Tut mir leid."

She rolled her eyes at the apology and dropped her hands, "Was machen sie?"

"Wir sprechen mit diese menschen." Bardock filled in as he pointed to the group behind him.

"Ja," Kakarot continued for his brother, "Sie sind uns aus ein weiterer Universum."

"Wirklich?" The woman frowned as the two explained what had been going on in their native tongue. "Sie aussehen wie uns, oder?"

She shifted her attention to the group of people her children had been talking to. Her eyes lingered on Vegeta for all of a second too long before rapidly inspecting Tien, Krillin, Eighteen, Seventeen, and Piccolo. Deliberately, she rolled her eyes at Master Roshi who had returned but was kneeling on the ground with an apparent nose bleed and broken face. Smirking at her handy work, her eyes lit on Gohan. He was the only person she smiled at (tiny that it may have been); a fact that made Gohan's heart tighten in his chest.

Yet, soon enough, she pulled her eyes away from him, turning her attention instead to his father. The second she saw Goku a flicker of something crossed her face. It was as if she knew something suddenly but didn't understand what or why.

Goku, for his part, looked directly back at her. The smoldering sense of knowing in his stomach turned to a pit of fire that ran from his toes to his face. He felt quite unexpectedly hot and exposed and confused and unnerved.

Then, as quickly as her eyes had landed on Goku, she pulled them away and, unwittingly, placed them on the one member of the group who hadn't said a word since they arrived: Frieza.

Never before has hatred so blatantly filled a person's face. Every corner of the Saiyan woman's expression ignited with pure animosity as she looked at Frieza standing, unencumbered, off to the group's right.

Her lips parted. Her eyes hardened into slits, and she snarled, "Frieza!"

Frieza opened his eyes and flicked his tail, appearing unfazed but aware that the growl was directed at himself, "Oh?" He smiled sweetly, sickeningly. "I see my reputation precedes me, regardless of universe." He laughed like a poorly trained geisha behind his hand, taking delight in the way the Saiyan female's whole face grew even more furious.

"Ma!" Kakarot stepped deliberately between his mother and Frieza, hands up and fully prepared to take a hit. "Du kannst schlagen ihn nicht!"

"Warum nicht!?" She snapped and shoved her child's shoulder; albeit with a surprising amount of control, for Kakarot didn't move just flinched.

"Du wirst disqualifiziert sein und wir brauchen dich!"

This seemed to catch the woman's attention. Glancing towards her child, she eyed him for several seconds before relenting although her whole face did contort in pain before she ripped her eyes away from him. "Kommen sie!" She commanded and twisted on her heel to go back to the rest of their waiting group.

Surprisingly, the Vegeta of that universe had separated himself from the group slightly. When he had moved, none of the z-fighters could recall. But he stood there half way between the two universes waiting, it appeared. When the Saiyan female reached him, there was no greeting besides her shoving him unceremoniously out of her way. The other Vegeta's face flashed with extreme annoyance instantly, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he just turned to follow her.

"Aber Ma?" Bardock protested faintly as he watched his mother return to their universe, but his brother's hand on his shoulder cut him off before he could shout again.

"Nein." Kakarot mumbled and sent the z-fighters one last glance over his shoulder. "I wish you good battle." He spoke clearly as he brought one fist up to rest against his heart. "May the strongest warriors live."

Not sure how to respond to such a declaration, the z-fighters could only nod at the two boys as they turned around and followed after their mother.

Frieza giggled in a sadistic way and wagged his tail like a dog excited to get a treat. The combination of the sound and the wag made the z-fighters distinctly uncomfortable.

"We're going to have to keep an eye on those guys," Krillin muttered as he turned his attention completely off of the psychotic maniac behind him.

"Yes," Piccolo agreed, watching the two boys sink back to the ground, sitting nearly in the center of their group once more.

"It's strange," Gohan added. "They're us—and not. We know so much about them in a way, but also absolutely nothing."

"That's how all fights are," Goku told his son even as his eyes lingered on the female Saiyan. "You know nothing—you fight—you learn—you win."

"Spoken like a true optimistic idiot," Eighteen commented as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

Goku laughed at his best friend's wife while rubbing the back of his head, but didn't deny her.

"Still," Gohan bit his lip in thought. "I want to know—how are they different from us? What changed?"

"Well," Master Roshi clicked his tongue loudly, "That babe did. She's the center of the shift." His sun glasses gleamed as he watched her a little too closely, "I wish I was the center of her—"

"I wonder," Krillin cut off the sexual innuendo. "What her story is?"

"Who the hell cares," Vegeta finally interrupted all of them. "We have to beat them—erase them—or are you forgetting the consequences of losing this tournament?"

His words made all the z-fighters go quiet because he was right. In the end, it didn't matter who these people were, who she was, what had changed. They were in a fight to the death. All that mattered was winning.

Still—none of them could help themselves. They all wanted to know…

_Eighteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Vegeta-Sei_

The red sky glowed with the setting of the summer sun. A warm breeze, teeming with just an edge of cool, gently swept through the curtain-less window. Lounging on the wide windowsill, Sagie placed a hand on her swollen stomach, only slightly resenting the way it burdened her. She really hated being pregnant with a passion although, even she could admit, she enjoyed the end product of the nine months of physical torture and no fighting.

Outside, she could hear the screaming and loud echoing she had long associated with fun. Glancing down at the small arena some forty or fifty feet away from her window seat, she bit the inside of her cheek. A group of males encircled the small fighting space, hands up in the air or cupped around their mouths as they hooted, hollered and laughed. In the middle of them, her young son, a small five-year-old with spiky hair and narrowed, focused eyes and another slightly older boy she didn't even care to recognize were facing off for the older men's amusement. She was pretty sure they were even taking bets.

One of the Saiyans, who was holding a suspicious amount of geld in his hands, jumped between the two boys. He held his hand straight up above his head, looked from Kakarot to the older boy and smirked before yelling, "Kampfen!"

The two boys charged at one another, screaming a warrior's cry with the voice of children. Kakarot's hand pulled back to his face as he launched himself at his opponent. The sight made Sagie shake her head. It was such a beginner mistake and really beneath her son. She would have to reprimand him for it later.

The older child easily slipped passed the cocked punch, ducked down, and slammed his own fist right into Kakarot's exposed side, knocking him backwards a good eight or nine feet.

Sagie resisted the urge to chuckle as her son coughed up clear spit. There was no blood, so no need to worry. A sudden kick to her hand nearly dislodged it from its place on her own stomach. Glaring down at the unborn child, she shook her head. It too wanted to be part of its brother's fight. Hopefully, one day, the two would fight together. At least, she could hope.

Below her the Saiyan men were goading Kakarot on, encouraging him to charge back forward. After several more coughs, the boy gritted his teeth. His eyes flashed with determination that ran through his family's bloodline for generations. Snarling almost ferally, he charged at his opponent, but unlike before, he had learned something. The boy didn't cock his arm back by his head. He didn't expose his ribs. Instead, he kept his elbow down, protecting his side, and he kept his fist by his face, waiting like a cobra.

The mother smiled as the sound of cracking bone made all the men hoot with laughter. Rolling her eyes, secretly pleased with her son's success, she pushed herself out of the windowsill with a huff. At eight, almost nine, months pregnant, she felt as if her whole body was weighted down. She knew from her last visit to the Medical Unit that she had only gained a total of twenty-eight pounds with this pregnancy (Kakarot had caused her to gain nearly forty), but it still felt like she was carrying around a damn lead weight in her gut.

Popping her neck, she crossed the small bedroom, ignoring her things as she made her way to the bathroom door. The unmade bed spread rumpled as the twilight breeze from outside skirted the room, and the papers on the small table beside Kakarot's tiny bed shifted quietly. Everything was peaceful, harmonious. Even the men outside had stopped hooting and hollering...

A cold shiver suddenly went down Sagie's back.

The absence of sound made her heart knot, twist, and catch on fire in her chest. Shoving energy under her feet so she could fly instead of walk, she twisted around and headed straight back towards the window. Dropping her weight down on the ledge, she grasped the frame, causing the wood to rupture under her insane grip. Her eyes frantically looked towards the small ring, making sure her son was safe. The only reason for a group of betting men to go so quiet would be if something had gone terribly wrong. Even Saiyans had respect for the truly injured, at least where children were concerned.

But the men around the ring weren't looking at her son and her son wasn't looking at them. All of them were looking in the sky, staring at something. Lifting up her own eyes, Sagie blinked in confusion. High above them was a black and purple, spherical spaceship she recognized instantly: Frieza's ship. She had seen it on the few occasions the man had landed on the planet to speak with Vegeta and his father. As the Commander and Chief of the Saiyan Army (temporarily on leave to finish carrying her child), she had been in on all such meetings.

Usually, they were meetings regarding high priority missions or Frieza was strutting around, dick measuring with the Saiyan males, as she and the other women often dubbed it.

But this time felt different. Perhaps it was some sort of instinct, warrior or motherly—who knew—but suddenly, she just knew that all hell was about to break loose. Vegeta had told her when she had first revealed her second pregnancy that the timing of it was poor. He had a suspicion that Frieza was looking for the right moment to attack. A moment when they were vulnerable. And with her nearly nine months pregnant, they were beyond vulnerable.

After all, Frieza had point blank told Sagie two years ago that her burgeoning power wasn't appreciated and that she had better watch her back. But pregnant as she was now, she might as well have been a normal soldier.

Behind her, the door flung open so hard that it actually came off of the hinges, "Sagie!"

Whirling around, she jumped back into the room, hands up, ready for a fight, only to find herself staring directly at Vegeta who was already crossing the room without preamble. His battle armor was secured around him despite the time of day and his black eyes were blazing with predatory instincts.

"Vegeta," She relaxed a fraction, but not entirely. Vegeta was unnerving her with the way he glared at the room around him. "Why's Frieza here?"

His eyes darted around the room, ignoring her as she attempted to ask more questions, "Where's the brat?"

It took her a moment to fully process what he had asked. It wasn't like him to ask about the boy, "Outside." She jutted her chin in the direction of the window, mind whirling. "Was Frieza's visit scheduled?" She attempted to ask as Vegeta rushed around her, his cape flapping wildly.

"Do you have your go-pack ready?" He spoke viciously as he jumped in the very window she had been standing in just seconds before.

"Why do I need it?" She snapped back; her whole-body knotting with a combination of fear and anger caused by the way he spoke to her.

Still, Vegeta didn't answer. Instead, he screamed out the window as loud as he could, "Kakarot!" Then, he pulled himself up and out of it, launching himself into the sky.

"Vegeta," She rushed towards the window. "Talk to me!"

The man stopped for all of five seconds and looked down at her. It was then that Sagie saw the fear in his own eyes. Like normal, he was using his anger to cover it up, but it was there none-the-less. Pure terror lined his black irises and pupils, and that made her whole world come crashing down.

"Ma?" Kakarot appeared having heard his name shouted. His tiny face distracted Sagie for all of a second. In his black eyes, she saw the same fear. He was shaking. His fingers were spasming, opening and closing, forming fist that soon turned into trembling pudgy fingers.

"Sagie," Vegeta didn't look at the child but continued to stare at the Saiyan female. He waited just long enough for her to look at him, and when their eyes met, Sagie's stomach dropped. "There's a pod waiting for you on Launch Pad 2B," The desperation that coated his words made the weight of their predicament finally hit her. "Take Kakarot and get the hell off this planet!" He was screaming in an effort to cover up the emotions coursing through him. "I'll distract the bastard."

Sagie didn't talk back this time. She only watched as the Vegeta shot off into the sky, running headlong into a fight he couldn't possibly win.

**Please Review**

The Saiyan language is German that is designed to sound slangish.


	2. Start

**Chapter Two:**

**Start**

Sagie bent down to touch her fingers to the ground. Legs straight, she pressed her palms against the smooth stone of the arena floor and tried to push her calves to the limits of their flexibility. Beating hard against her rib cage, her heart told her of her own nervous anticipation. She was starting to feel the silent dreadful exhilaration that always followed her into battle. The mixture of fear accompanying downright excitement. She just couldn't wait another minute for this whole thing to start.

Still, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to that other universe: the one parallel to their own. She hadn't been fully prepared for the strange and striking similarities she had found there. First, of course had been Vegeta, seeing him there had pissed her off, but she hadn't shown it. Second, had been Gohan—her Kakarot. He had looked different, lighter skin and wider, happier eyes, but he was still the boy she knew. The lack of Bardock—Goten—had surprised her. Of course, she had thought he was there at first, but when she had gotten a closer look at the Saiyan who looked like him, she realized she had been mistaken.

The male hadn't been Bardock. He was far too old, nearly her own age. Plus, his face was different from the face of the original Bardock from which her son was named. He lacked the scars and the narrowing of his eyes to match the once great fighter. He was a true unknown, and the lack of knowing was dangerous at a time like this. The more she knew about universe 7 the better. After all, this wasn't a social tournament. This was a battle to the death and gaining knowledge over one's opponent was a sure-fire way to guarantee a victory.

For that matter, she glanced towards her two sons who were playing some strange human game that involved their fingers and counting, maintaining one's distance from an opponent was important as well, perhaps more so. Her youngest son had never actually fought in a match quite like this one. He didn't really understand the amount of heart, or really lack thereof, it took to kill a man when you knew he has done nothing except been born into the universe. And if he, with his gentle heart, got close to this other universe, there was no way they would be able to deliver a blow that would ensure their eraser.

As contradictory as it sounded, the easiest way to assure you can kill someone is to simultaneously know everything and nothing about them. That was why she had gone over to interrupt in the first place: it was dangerous too get close.

Straightening, Sagie felt her muscles tense and grow taunt. She licked her lips, eyes jumping up against her will towards the white-purple, reptilian creature that was standing with universe 7. Her gaze hardened and the hatred in her heart exploded. Clutching a fist, she didn't realize she was bleeding from the action until Vegeta came to stand beside her.

"Let it go, Sagie," He spoke in Standard Language, Japanese the humans called it, as was his habit; it was a habit that annoyed her to no end. "That's not the same man that murdered our people."

Standing to her full height which was greater than Vegeta's own, she brought one hand across her chest before bracing the other one against it to stretch out her shoulders. "Looks like an ass—talks like an ass—smirks like an ass." She didn't look at Vegeta as she spoke. "All facts point to," She switched arms, "It's an ass."

The other Saiyan didn't comment at first, but he did look at her with displeasure. He hated her foul mouth. It wasn't becoming of a woman of her station. "But it isn't the one from our universe." He repeated; voice cold as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Trunk's killed him."

Sagie tensed and turned her back on Vegeta. Her eyes wandered towards her sons. They were still playing the ridiculous game, fingers sticking out in odd numbers as they patiently waited for whatever opening they needed to win. They appeared completely unaware of the sheer magnitude of their situation. This was life and death, and they were playing a game Kakarot had learned in human high school from his wife.

"That Frieza," Vegeta continued while keeping an eye on the creature. His brow creased with distaste as he watched the tail flick. "Isn't the one who—."

"You know what Vegeta," Sagie huffed, deliberately blowing her bangs away from her face. "Get the fuck away from me."

The male Saiyan tensed but, unexpectantly, obeyed the command.

Above her head, the Grand Priest's voice suddenly boomed across the crowd, "Thank you for your patience." The smile on his face was equal parts kind and sadistic. "And welcome to the Tournament of Power!"

His voice echoed throughout the ring. The sound of it hitting non-existent walls was strange in her ears. Kakarot and Bardock appeared at her side as did Piccolo. Looking at her companions out of the corner of her eyes, she licked her lips.

Their team had decided to work in groups—with the exception of Vegeta and Hit who both adamantly proclaimed they were working alone. Her sons, as normal, were a team with Piccolo, and Dr. Rota, Auta Magetta and Botamo had formed a team as well. Her and Cabba were kind of working together. At the very least, they would have each other's back if there was a problem, but otherwise, she (like Vegeta) preferred to work alone. She always had, after all. Even back in the days she had worked as a planet merchant for Frieza, she had worked alone, conquering worlds completely by herself.

The Grand Priest continued to drone on, there was something about a national anthem and a few other things. The rules were explained in great detail, but Sagie really didn't care. She preferred to learn as she went. Besides, Kakarot would be sure to remind her constantly. He had a habit of assuming she would forget most things, which was unfortunately true. If her brain didn't deem something important, then she didn't retain it.

"I wish you the best of luck!" The Grand Priest's voice rang out, overly cheerful as he hovered above the crowd.

Sagie's body tensed from the words.

The Grand Priest lifted his hand up forming a knife-like edge as his eyes shifted over the crowd, "Let the—."

Sagie felt her sons' body heat against her shoulders. The two had grown close to her for a second, bumping shoulders with her as a Saiyan sign of affection. Their race wasn't one for hugging or kissing or anything that required bodily contact from full grown offspring to parent. Once you went through puberty the affection was gone. The shoulder bump, however, was an exception. It was like the head butt that puppies give to the bitch that birthed them. A sign of affection without being truly affectionate.

"Tournament of Power—."

She returned the affection with a sign of her own. Raising both hands up, she touched the top of both boys' heads, ruffling their hair as if they were little children. It was a gentle reassurance.

"Begin!"

The fighting arena exploded into action, men and women alike charging forward with such fury in their voices that the gravity of the situation seemed to collectively hit everyone all over again.

Kakarot and Bardock shot forward. The Saiyan blood in their veins compelling them to charge head first into the fray. Not moving, Sagie followed a few seconds of their first clashes. Punches swirled, Piccolo caught a blast before it hit Bardock in the back, Kakarot slammed his heel hard into an oncoming opponent's hip, sending the man skidding towards the ring's edge. He followed the hit with a good barrage of energy blasts from his hands. The balls of light exploded as they hit his opponent, but when the smoke cleared, the other man was long gone. Not over the edge, Sagie knew. She had seen him out of the corner of her eye as he got the hell out of her son's firing range.

Coward, she thought, before jumping backwards and upwards. Even though flying wasn't allowed, she was confident in her ability to get up high enough to stake out the ring.

It seemed like the majority of the fighters had gone after the crew from universe 7. She couldn't blame them. Her own universe had discussed attacking them first after Cabba had revealed some of their secrets, but in the end, they had decided against it for whatever reason. Instead, Kakarot had suggested the tactic of grouping up and taking out single fighters as a cluster. Attack whoever was closest to you then move onto the next group together. It was a Saiyan fighting strategy that Sagie had taught him.

Eyes scanning the crowd, Sagie watched as one of the robotic things from universe 3 swung its arms around in a hasty circle to take out as many people as possible at once. She could hear the God of Destruction from his universe catcalling on and on about how effective it was. That made her laugh. In less than ten seconds, Hit disrupted the creature's movements and another fighter, one of the wolf things, took down the robot with a few well-placed blasts.

Snorting, her eyes widened as her ears picked up a sound off to her right that wasn't an explosion or a punch making contact; it was someone headed towards her. She smirked and turned to face her opponent head on.

Another female fighter was looking at her. The short skirt and the folded up blue wings made Sagie sweat drop, "Are you a fucking fairy?"

The woman growled but the sound was so pathetic that Sagie felt sorry for her, "I'm a butterfly!" She yelled and jumped into the air, unfolding her wings so she could fly.

The expression on her face spoke volumes to the very experienced Saiyan warrior. This butterfly was terrified. Trying hard not to roll her eyes, Sagie allowed ten little red lights to form on her fingertips. It didn't take an experienced fighter to know how to take this girl out in two strikes. Widening her palm, she inhaled once and with a flick of her wrist, and no effort whatsoever, sent the red globes of energy directly at the butterfly thing.

The woman's screech filled the air as she tried to dodge, but the blasts were much too fast for her delicate wings to maneuver around. Each well aimed energy ball hit its target, sending the butterfly creature crashing down to the ground with a very un-warrior-like shriek. Pissed off by the pathetic behavior, Sagie jumped behind the falling woman, brought her knee to her chest, and kicked her sound in the back with a well-aimed round house. The shriek turned into a cry of pain as the woman flew directly over the edge of the ring.

Landing, Sagie grimaced as the woman disappeared, eliminated, "She gives women a bad name."

"And you don't?"

Sagie's whole body went rigid from the sound of the all too familiar voice. Snapping her whole body around, hands coming up in guard around her face, she stared back into the dangerous red eyes of Frieza. Her jaw clenched as she drug her right foot behind her body, scrapping it against the floor of the ring as she formed a tense fighting stance.

"It appears," Frieza put his arms behind his back and turned a bit so that his hip was facing her and not his stomach. "You've met me before—in your own universe. At least, I feel it's safe to assume you have."

Sagie growled low in her throat. The sound was predatory. Her eyes scanned the man's body, looking for any sign of weakness she could take advantage of. Even though he was standing sideways, hands behind his back, tail flicking out behind him, she couldn't find a single weak spot. Somehow, he was perfectly on guard.

As if aware of what she was doing, Frieza's eyes suddenly shifted towards her. Without moving his head, he was looking directly at her, "And from what I'm gathering," His voice was dripping with something akin to sarcasm. "It wasn't a pleasant encounter for you, was it?"

The hairs on the back of Sagie's neck stood on end as the predatory sound she was making stopped dead in her throat. Suddenly, she felt like prey and that pissed her off.

Shooting forward, she screamed as she formed two balls of energy in her hands. Frieza's eyes flickered with amusement. Twisting back forward, his hands darted out from behind his back, catching her glowing fist and the energy within them. Unbothered by the catch, Sagie pushed even more energy into her hands, overloading the two blasts so that they exploded in both her and Frieza's faces. The force of the explosion threw them both backwards in opposite directions. Her feet skidded along the ground for several feet, but she didn't take her eyes off of the demon spawn in front of her. He too had skidded to a halt, leaving a good thirty feet between them. His hands were blackened and smoking a bit, but he didn't look hindered or even annoyed.

No, the damn creature looked downright amused.

"Feisty girl." The chuckle that left his throat made Sagie want to scream. "I wonder what I did to you in your universe." He straightened; eyes focused solely on her. "It must have been—awful."

"Ma!"

Kakarot's voice didn't even make Sagie's eyes flicker as he landed beside her. Bardock soon followed. She didn't know where Piccolo had gone and she really didn't care. She only had eyes for Frieza.

"You better listen—and listen closely, you damn bastard." Her voice was like fire in the air, fueled by the sardonic expression on her opponent's face. "I am going to kill you."

"I do believe that's against the rules," Frieza snickered even as his eyes shifted from Kakarot to Bardock curiously.

The boys' faces mirrored their mother—murderous. They too knew Frieza's face, but unlike their mother, the anger they felt was far different and fueled by a different set of memories.

"Like I give a damn." Sagie sank down into a fighting stance, her sons followed suit without question.

It was then that Piccolo landed behind them, assuming a battle position as well. Frieza's eyes flickered towards the Namekian. They narrowed from the sight of the additional fighter, and then scrunched up with something akin to mirth. His eyes shifted back towards the female Saiyan, interest teeming in them, "What's your name, Saiyan?"

"Why the fuck should I tell you?" She replied.

"Common courtesy," Frieza shrugged. "It's only proper to know the name of the person who is going to _kill_ you." The sarcasm in his voice nearly sent Sagie over the edge again.

"Sa—gie," She drew out both syllables in her name with deadly purpose. "That's the name of the woman who's going to make you wish you were never born."

"Good to know," Frieza jumped backwards. An explosion went off somewhere to the right, an energy blast making contact with the ring and crumbling it. Dust and debris flew into the air, providing a perfect smoke screen for Frieza to make his escape.

"Damn!" Sagie shot forward, but a hand on her arm stopped her. Twisting around, she yanked her arm back and bared her teeth. "What the hell, Piccolo!?"

The Namekian blinked at her once, dryly, before commenting, "If he's anything like the Frieza in our universe, he won't be easy to beat."

Bardock coughed slightly, "Really? Future Trunks beat our Frieza with one fucking hit."

"True," Kakarot agreed even as he turned his back on them, looking out at the ring. There were several small fights in the vicinity, and he would be damned if someone used one of those fights as a cover to sneak up on them. "But it isn't safe to assume that he possesses the exact same power as the Frieza in our universe. Making such an assumption could get us all killed."

Sagie felt some common sense enter her head at Piccolo and Kakarot's words. Relaxing a fraction, she sighed heavily. "You think he's that much more powerful than our Frieza?"

"I'm not sure," Piccolo lifted his chin, scanning the ring. "But as Gohan said, we have to assume that he is." His eyes flickered downwards towards her. "As an experienced soldier, you should know that better than all of us, Sagie."

She scrunched up her face at the chastisement, but nodded her agreement anyway. Piccolo was right, after all. One of the primary rules of fighting in the Saiyan army was: always assume your opponent is stronger than you and fight with everything you have. That rule had saved her ass on numerous occasions.

Looking around at the three men, she gave in to their assessment and popped her neck. "So—are you stalking anyone else or just me?"

Immediately, Bardock snickered, "You want to tell her what we saw Kakarot?"

"Shut up," Kakarot grumbled without turning back towards them.

"What happened?" Sagie kept her voice flat even as annoyance crept up her spine.

"Dr. Rota was eliminated in like two seconds." The youngest in the group sounded amused. "The best laid plans, right Kakarot?"

This time Kakarot spared a backwards glance to glare at his younger brother, "Don't make me wipe that smile off your face, bruderchen."

Bardock merely laughed at the threat and childish nickname.

"We need to get back to fighting," Piccolo stepped around the two brothers and Sagie. "Sagie?"

Aware of the unspoken invitation, Sagie weighed her options for a moment. But only a moment, "No thanks," She jumped into the air and disappeared before the small group could follow her.

She had worked alone as long as she could remember, and she wasn't about to start working with a team now.

_Eighteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Vegeta-Sei_

Sagie flew through the air, dodging the people that were screaming, running, flying, and crying. Above her, Frieza was hovering in his strange contraption that made him look less like a dictator and more like a lazy lizard. He seemed to be watching the Saiyans as they scrambled, building a last second army. In the back of her mind, she wondered if this was how their own victims had felt when they saw Saiyans hovering in the air above their planets ready to kill and conquer.

If they had, then maybe the Saiyans deserved what they were about to get—.

Behind her, much too young to keep up with the fast pace of his mother, Kakarot panted and forced his energy to stay in his feet propelling him forward, but it was nearly impossible. Sagie had, before she had gotten pregnant with the new baby, been the most skilled Saiyan warrior on the planet with Vegeta as a close second. She was unbelievably fast, pregnant or not, and undeniably strong.

"Ma!" He called after her as he slowed down too much to be considered safe. Every instinct in his body told him, if you lose sight of your mother, you'll die. "Ma! Ich brauche hilfte!"

Sagie twisted around without slowing, shot backwards, and grabbed onto the child's arm. Yanking him into her chest, above her aching stomach, she gasped and frantically started forward once more.

"Ma," Kakarot's voice quivered, but he knew his mother would be able to hear it over the chaos, the screaming, and the shadow of Frieza that loomed. "Was passt?"

"Frieza," She answered without going into more detail. She knew her child was smart. Smart enough to get what hid in the silence that followed her words.

Kakarot looked up at the sky. The wind ripped at his eyes from his mother's speed, but he could still see it. Frieza had lifted one hand and was holding a small speck of energy on top of his pointer finger.

That image would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, Sagie landed and started running with him. Her body was heavy and hard to move, but she couldn't fly any longer. Her energy was being diverted elsewhere; the location of which horrified her. Skidding to a halt, she ignored the scream of the launch pad operator as she slid in front of a lone pod at Launch Site 2B. It was only big enough for one person, and probably only had life support for one person, but she had no choice. Vegeta had done his best in the short amount of time he had to ensure her, the baby's, and Kakarot's survival, and there wasn't another pod on the platform.

"Hey!"

She didn't look at the operator as he yelled at her; she just slammed her shoulder against the button on the side that opened the pod. It opened slowly, but the second there was enough space, she slipped inside.

"Dame Sagie!" The operator screamed as Sagie took one hand off Kakarot and slammed her fist down on the door close button. She didn't know where the pod was programed to go. She didn't know if Vegeta had picked a place out or not. She just knew from the flashing green light that some series of coordinates were already entered. Whatever it was would have to do for now.

The pod buzzed loudly. The door slowly closed. The name of a planet reached her ears, but she didn't recognize it or care to acknowledge it. Her eyes watched through the small space left through the door as Frieza's energy blast began to grow. The red was shimmering like a second sun, casting the planet in a darker red color than normal. It would take over everything, this pod included, when it struck.

We're going to die, she thought.

Her whole heart clenched in her chest. Water formed in her eyes, not because of her death, but because of her children. The one who rested inside had never known life, and the little one clinging to her, sobbing into her breasts, was too little to have appreciated it.

But in the milli-seconds before the door closed completely, she saw someone appear. The Prince of all Saiyans was there in the sky right in front of the dictator. She could see the cape worn only by the royal family. It wasn't moving due to the high altitude, but she could still see it. She still knew it was him.

And she knew without having to hear him say a word what he was doing. He was stalling, giving her just enough time to get away. Dropping her power level as she had learned years before on some backwater planet she had crash landed on, she held Kakarot against her body, pressing his face into her chest. She mumbled in his ear, comforting him just enough that he obeyed her command and dropped his power level too as she had taught him as a toddler.

The hissing of air being shoved out as the pod completely sealed itself for travel made her sensitive ears nearly bleed.

"Ich habe angst—ich habe angst." Her child cried into her breast, hiding his face from view.

"Ich kenne." She whispered to him, pulling him tighter, burying her face in his black hair. "Es ist okay." She whispered into his hair before bringing her face back up. "Mama wird dich beschutzen."

Opening her black eyes, the tears welling in them actually fell as the pod sprang into the air and launched into space. None of Frieza's sensors would be able to identify a single lifeform inside, and they wouldn't question it. Frieza didn't know that she could control and hide her energy level, tricking scouters. For all he knew, she was on the planet, pregnant, scared, and prepared to die.

As the pod rushed into the upper stratosphere, Sagie's eyes latched onto Vegeta once more. He was there, facing off with the beast. On the tip of Frieza's finger, growing larger and larger, was a giant energy blast that was bound to destroy the entire planet if the crazed dictator had his way.

Yet, there was no fear in Vegeta's aura. She couldn't sense even an ounce. Pursing her lips, she watched him for all of another second before the pod turned away from the planet. She lost sight of him and Frieza as she and Kakarot were hurled into space, to a destination unknown.

Stretching her senses outwards, even though she knew it was foolish, she waited for the feeling she knew would come. Soon enough, she felt the rush of energy. Frieza had released the giant attack. She tracked its movement with her senses as she felt a million different energy signatures wink out in an instant.

Vegeta's too became lost to her. The pod jumped, a shockwave of power hitting it as Vegeta-sei, her people, her family, and the Prince disappeared from existence.

Teeth gritting, hatred brimming in her soul, she whispered the only thing she could think to say, "Danke schon—," The tears slipped from her eyes onto Kakarot's head, "Vegeta."

**Please Review**


	3. Couples

**Chapter 3:**

**Couples**

Running through the rubble, Sagie jumped onto a broken slab of the tournament floor and threw herself into the air. Frieza had disappeared after the mini-skirmish, which surprised her. She had figured the lizard monster would come after her, but he hadn't. The very fact that he had backed off from the fight both irritated and confused her. The Frieza from universe 7 really was different than the Frieza she had known. Her Frieza would rather die than back down from a senseless ape.

Landing on an outcropping of broken arena, Sagie looked around herself for her next fight. By sheer coincidence, it was delivered to her on a silver platter. As the rubble made way for a surprisingly flat area, she saw some being from some unknown universe take shape. It was currently fighting the Krillin and Eighteen from the other universe. Vaguely, she frowned, imagining the Krillin and Eighteen of her universe back on Earth. They were waiting at Capsule Corp with everyone else. She could only imagine the thoughts running through their heads.

She would much rather be fighting for her life than sitting waiting to find out whether she would live or die. But, that was the boat most of the z-fighters she had come to know over the years were in. They had been left behind to wait for the inevitable—whatever the inevitable was in the end.

Licking her lips, Sagie jumped behind a nearby rock, concealing herself, and glanced towards the couple. Their opponent looked like a wolf of some kind with greenish fur and tall, pointed, animal ears on top of his head. Carefully, she studied the duo in order to determine who she was dealing with. Were they like the Krillin and Eighteen from her world—or different?

Her Krillin and Eighteen were incredibility powerful, but they had a newborn baby that had held them back from entering. A choice that secretly annoyed Sagie or, truthfully, left her bewildered. Still, if these two had even half the talent of their counterparts in her universe, they were no joke.

Currently, the two were sending an energy blast back and forth over the wolf being's head, hitting him and nicking him at times as they allowed their combined energy to slowly grow. The wolf creature was scarcely able to dodge the attack. The energy ball was simply far too large to actually maneuver around anymore.

Sagie felt her fist tighten at her side. The Saiyan in her said to attack and to take advantage of poor battle planning. This Krillin and Eighteen were distracted by their opponent who was about to fall over the edge, which left the two very vulnerable to outside ambush. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to attack. So, instead, she followed her military training. She observed, learning their every move, absorbing it all like the trained soldier, general, and commander and chief she had been in another life.

The wolf flew backwards as he attempted to dodge the blast, but it was much too large at this point and the surprisingly huge arena was much too small. Sagie watched as he tried helplessly to control his fall, but wavered and easily sank into oblivion. Krillin and Eighteen laughed at their victory, high-fiving like the dorks they were. The sight made Sagie wince.

I can't do this, she thought and stood up, fully prepared to depart. She wasn't ready to face someone from her own parallel universe yet. All in due time she would be forced to take them down, but it could wait until later. She would wait until—she had the nerve to.

"Oi!"

Sagie's eyes widened from the sound of Eighteen's voice; regardless of universe, it was the same.

"You, Saiyan from universe 6."

Sagie turned towards the other woman, straightening herself up, rolling her shoulders back, even as she cursed internally, "Yeah?"

"Name's Sagie, right?"

"That's what they call me." She replied with a smirk even as she tightened her hand at her side. She hadn't planned on the android noticing her. She wasn't ready for this. Tensing her muscles, she made to jump away, avoiding the fight she couldn't face just yet.

Eighteen dropped into a fighting stance with one of her hands held opened in front of her face. Her nails were long, exaggerated almost, like when Bulma went to the beauty-salon and dropped a few million zeni.

"You gonna back down from a fight?" Eighteen called out, and Krillin winced from his spot behind her.

"Why are you picking one?!" He yelled at his wife, who made a tsking noise under her breath.

"Coward."

Krillin blanched at Eighteen's crass response and dropped down into his own stance beside her. "I'm not a coward," He inched his feet a bit wider apart. "Just practical." He whispered not realizing the Saiyan could easily hear the argument between the couple. "We don't know anything about her. We should just let her disappear and face her later, preferably, with a Saiyan of our own."

Eighteen tightened her hand up, making her knuckles pop without actually forming a fist, "I'd agree, but we don't have a choice." She kept her voice low as well. "If she attacks, we have to be ready."

Krillin couldn't argue with that and didn't.

Standing only a few hundred feet away, Sagie didn't move to change her position at all. She kept her back straight and her eyes forward on the couple. They were just like the Krillin and Eighteen she knew. Loving in their own way, but also unbalanced in their relationship. Eighteen called all the shots; Krillin listened and obeyed.

That seemed to be a commonality between universe 7 and 6. The women commanded, instigated, and growled, and the men cowered in return.

Sagie was no exception to this rule although there was one difference that had been made apparent over the years. Sagie didn't make exemptions like some of the other women in her universe and she supposed universe 6's as well. Regardless of opponent, man or woman, Sagie was domineering. She would not be pushed or mocked. And as she looked at this Eighteen who was sending her an irritated, defiant glare, she knew she wasn't going to change that about herself now.

Without making a sound, Sagie shot towards her using the momentum of her feet pressing into the ground to aim herself right at Eighteen. The android woman waited until the last possible second to move. She jumped to the side, and Sagie pivoted in response sending two energy blasts towards Eighteen's head. The android dropped her weight down, sliding under Sagie's body while throwing her own blasts upwards from both palms.

Sagie flipped to avoid them, landed one foot on the ground, and jumped out of the way of the kick Krillin had aimed towards her head. Easily skidding around the man, she aimed her own kick for his side, but was stopped from making contact by Eighteen's assault on her face. Barely having time to dodge and block, Sagie forced herself backwards as she went on the pure defensive. Hands working overtime, she caught every punch, dodged every kick, bruised her forearms and the sides of her thighs from the force of the android's hits as she blocked the attacks she couldn't dodge or catch.

Suddenly, another set of hands and feet joined the fray. Growling, she upped her motions, moving as quickly as possible to block the two sets of hands and feet that Krillin and Eighteen were throwing at her body. It took all her will power to keep up with them. Tracking the motion with eyes that were losing the ability due to the flurry of movement, she realized (hating herself for the realization) that she would have to give up a little bit of her own secrets to beat these two.

Cabba had told her that the Saiyans of universe 7 could transform, an ability that Cabba had never been aware of due to being raised away from all other Saiyans. He had been tiny when the planet was destroyed, no older than Kakarot, and on a purging mission off world. It had saved his life, but as a result, he had been raised by non-Saiyans and his growth as a fighter had been stunted. So, the ability to transform had been lost to him, but it had never been lost to Sagie. She had mastered it long ago. A fact she was positive the humans of universe 7 were completely unaware because the only Saiyan they had ever met from universe 6 was Cabba—the anti-Saiyan.

Allowing one of Eighteen's hits to connect, Sagie used the force of the blow to propel herself backwards, creating distance. Now far enough away, she took a few precious seconds to collect energy in her back.

Throwing her hands outwards, she pulled the energy into her body. Instantly, her hair spiked up slightly, gold over taking it as her eyes shifted to teal.

Around the ring, various warrior's that were able to sense power levels turned towards the sudden influx of it. Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta, along with Kakarot and Bardock and the Vegeta of Universe 6 all froze as her energy rushed towards them, causing pressure to form in their own bodies. One never quite gets over the way it feels when another Super Saiyan transforms nearby: the heat of a fire on the back of your neck before you turn around to see the blaze.

Unaware of the knowledge of her transformation sinking into all the other Saiyan's in the ring, Sagie didn't pause. Slamming a foot into the ground, she threw herself towards Krillin and Eighteen, hitting both of them simultaneously. They had been way to close together because of their assault and way too stunned by her transformation to block properly.

The two went flying backwards; Krillin more so than Eighteen.

It took only seconds for Eighteen to regain her footing. Skidding, the woman bared her teeth and charged right back in. Spinning her body in a wide circle, she aimed a foot for Sagie's exposed ribs. The Saiyan threw her weight backwards to dodge, then went forward, connecting the edge of her fist with Eighteen's blocking hand. Eighteen's fingers curled around her hand, stopping the punch as the two women groaned from the effort it took to control each other. Snarling, Sagie threw her other hand towards Eighteen's face. The android blocked this one too, curling her other hand around it as well.

Tightening her grip on the Super Saiyan, Eighteen attempted to crush the delicate bones of Sagie's hands, but it was to no avail. Lifting one foot up off the ground just high enough to step, Sagie shoved Eighteen backwards. The android's heels sunk further into the ground, breaking the ring as her arms began to shake. She wouldn't be able to hold the other woman back for much longer.

"Give up," Sagie bit out as she took another step forward. The ring underneath Eighteen's feet turned to tiny pebbles as her heels ripped it opened.

Eighteen's blue eyes narrowed as she looked into Sagie's teal ones, "Haven't you ever heard the human saying," She whispered into the other woman's face, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch?"

Sagie's eyes went huge as she realized her mistake a second too late.

"Now!" Eighteen suddenly screamed in Sagie's face and dropped her weight backwards, disrupting Sagie's balance and sending her off her feet.

The female Saiyans eyes went wide as her body went up, Eighteen still holding onto her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Krillin moving to form an attack, and in that moment of distraction, Eighteen finished her part of the unspoken strategy by sending her foot directly into Sagie's stomach.

Spit flew from the Saiyan female's mouth as she felt Eighteen let go of her hands as her body flew upwards from the hit.

Krillin held up both hands, revealing twin attacks that made Sagie bristle. She had never seen anything like it. Swirling masses of pure energy, sharp as a razor, were growing in size from his hands. Not only was the attack downright impressive, she knew it had to be deadly. Flipping backwards over her own head, she righted herself in the air. Swinging one leg behind herself, setting her body into a fighting stance as she slowly fell back towards the ground, she brought her hands in front of her face. She knew she would only get one opportunity to deflect that attack.

"Distructo," The other universe's Krillin yelled at the top of his lungs, "Disc!" He crossed his arms in front of his body, the action flinging the twin saw like blades straight towards her.

Sagie's body tensed as she felt her feet touch the ground just in time to throw her body out of the path of the attack, but something told her that was not the end of those blades. Sure enough, as she looked back at Krillin, she saw that the fingers of one hand were deliberately pointing up while the fingers of the other hand were pointing sideways. The action was so deliberate that she knew it had to be connected to that unknown attack.

Instantly, she closed her eyes, threw her senses outwards, and caught the feeling of the twin blades on the edge of her instincts.

"He can control the fucking blades," she cursed under her breath. Throwing her body out of the way of the attack, she dodged the twin hits again, just barely, and desperately used her senses to feel out Eighteen's energy. She had to know where that woman was—odds were, the two's plan of attack went much farther than just this distructo disc thing.

She could sense the woman off to her right, waiting to launch a final assault no-doubt. Gritting her teeth, Sagie dodged the disc once more as she formed a plan within seconds. There was only one way out of this, and it was damn dirty. Frieza dirty.

Twisting to face Eighteen, she launched herself in the android's direction. Eighteen looked as if she had expected the change in direction; unfortunately, the android didn't quite understand the change in tactic. Sinking down lower to the ground, running at full force, Sagie placed her hands to her forehead, using another ability she doubted the other universe knew existed. Moving at lightspeed, she reformed right in front of Eighteen and grabbed her solidly around the middle before the android could react.

The blond woman snarled, punching Sagie over and over again in the head, yanking at her arms as she put it all together.

Eyes going huge, Krillin stopped his motions and let the attack dissipated, exactly as Sagie had expected he would. They were just like the Krillin and Eighteen from her universe, and that information had come in handy. Krillin wouldn't dare hurt his wife, regardless of universe.

"Fuck!" Eighteen screamed as she pried Sagie's hands off of her and somehow managed to twist her around, putting her into a headlock. "Krillin—shoot her!"

"But—," Krillin remembered a story about Goku holding Raditz as Piccolo fired a death blow. He had held Goku in his arms as the man died from the attack. As he looked at Sagie being held by his wife, he found himself incapable of doing the same thing. Piccolo hadn't cared what happened to Goku, but Krillin—he cared desperately about what happened to his wife.

And that moment of indecision was all Sagie needed.

Leaning forward, throwing Eighteen off her feet, Sagie grabbed the arm wrapped around her neck with both hands, yanking down. The pressure released on her throat, she inhaled sharply, and screamed as she threw Eighteen over her head, sending her flying towards Krillin. The man just barely had time to reach up and grab his wife in an effort to stop her and himself from going too far backwards over the ring's edge. He had no idea when they had gotten so close to the edge, but it was downright dangerous at this point.

Skidding to a halt a mere foot from certain elimination, Krillin let go of his wife who had already regained her composure.

"Damn!" Eighteen growled and blew some of her misplaced hair out of her face.

"Split up." Krillin delivered the simple instruction, knowing Eighteen would understand.

Eighteen, for her part, darted to her right as her husband darted left.

Across from them, patiently waiting, Sagie brought her hands in front of her stomach, facing the palms together. She had been expecting the split up. No doubt they would try to take her from opposite sides, relying on confusing her with too many hands and feet and attacks to block.

It was a good tactic, done on a fighter that was too good to fall for it.

Collecting nearly invisible white energy in front of her, she tracked Krillin and Eighteen as they ran to either side of her. Krillin on her left and Eighteen on her right, both preparing to deliver an energy blast to her opposite sides. Anticipating the hit, Sagie inhaled sharply and threw her hands out to her sides, forming a T with her body. Two blasts flew from her palms aiming right for Krillin and Eighteen. Predictably, the two fighters jumped up out of the way and sailed downwards towards Sagie. They were banking on her being too slow to switch from offensive to defensive, but they were wrong.

Sagie dropped her energy blasts, which promptly fizzled out. She backflipped a good fourteen times in a row to get far enough away from her foes that were approaching by air. With each backwards spring, she shoved more and more energy into her feet, controlling the collection of it with a precision that truly spoke to her skill as a fighter. On her last backhand spring, she didn't flip over her head. Instead, she landed in a handstand and pointed her heels at Krillin and Eighteen.

Having no idea what the woman was doing, neither Krillin nor Eighteen stopped in their charge until it was too late. The husband and wife fighting team never saw such a thing coming. Sagie sent the energy flying outwards from her heels right towards their faces. It hit Krillin directly, sending the man backwards, but Eighteen managed to duck down with only a fraction of an inch to spare.

Flipping back onto her feet, pivoting on her heel, Sagie screamed as she whirled on the android. A flurry of kicks and punches flew from Sagie and Eighteen's hands. The two women were vicious, holding nothing back as they let their battle cries rip from their throats. Forming a blast in her hand Eighteen threw it into Sagie's rib, but the Saiyan female didn't falter. She returned the pain by hitting the other woman in the face with a solid left jab. Eighteen's head twisted around, but she didn't falter. Instead, she used the momentum of her body turning to send a spinning hook kick to the back of Sagie's head. The other woman managed to block it with the length of her arm and promptly dropped to the ground, catching Eighteen's exposed leg with her bare hands.

The surprise that crossed Eighteen's face was nothing compared to Sagie's talent. Standing, Eighteen's leg clutched tightly in her hand, Sagie spun around quicker than a twister and released Eighteen only after she was sure the android's whole head was spinning. Eighteen went flying towards the edge of the ring. Seconds before the android righted herself, Sagie let loose a barrage of blasts from her hands. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she didn't stop firing until Krillin appeared behind her. She sensed him mere milliseconds before he made to grab her. Dropping her hands, she swiftly elbowed the man in the gut, turned on her heel, and slammed her fist into his face.

Krillin flew backwards, hitting the ground hard and skidding to a stop a good eight or nine yards away, right by the ring's edge. Breathing heavily, Sagie didn't stop to think, but instead turned to look back at Eighteen. She knew the other woman had been saved by Krillin's momentary distraction, but she had to check on her location. There were too many energy signatures currently distracting her. One of which had just made itself known.

Her eyebrow twitched with irritation as she snapped her head around to look at Vegeta. Sagie briefly wondered which Vegeta she was looking at, Universe 6 or 7, but within seconds, she knew it was universe 6s. The Vegeta in universe 7 wore a different style of Saiyan armor that cut off at the waist instead of sprawling out into a skirt like structure at the hips. This Vegeta was dressed like the one from her universe.

This Vegeta was the one she hated, and he had just landed beside a shakily standing Krillin.

"Krillin!" Eighteen screamed as Vegeta sent an energy blast right to Krillin's stomach, launching the man backwards, helplessly over the side of the ring.

There was no hope for the human. He had been too close to the edge and too weakened by Sagie to fight off a hit from Vegeta.

"No!" Eighteen's voice ripped through the current of battle cries and explosions as she went right for Vegeta, clearly pissed off.

Infuriated, Sagie could only watch as the android tried to murder Vegeta, throwing hit after hit after hit as Vegeta did his best to keep up with her incessant volley. Her heart went tight in her chest and her fists closed at her sides, shaking with rage.

Shooting up to her feet, she shrieked, "What the hell, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan prince didn't turn towards her as he dodged a kick aimed right for his head and pushed himself backwards away from Eighteen, "You looked like you needed help." He called back to her as he caught a punch aimed for his face and tightened his grip on the android's hand.

"I didn't." Sagie snarled at him even as Eighteen ripped her hand away from Vegeta. "When I said leave me the fuck alone, I meant it!"

Vegeta didn't respond; his hands were already filled with Eighteen who had managed to punch him square in the face a few dozen times while he was distracted.

Gritting her teeth as hard as she could, Sagie glared at Vegeta furiously. On some level, she knew she should help Vegeta eliminate Eighteen, but on another one, one that was far too primitive, she didn't want to. There wasn't one part of her body that wanted to help the man in front of her.

"Sagie-sama, are you okay?!"

Eyes popping opened, Sagie turned towards the young Cabba. The boy landed next to her, his short stature reminding her that he had never been properly feed as a boy. His body was underdeveloped from malnutrition, something that would normally kill a Saiyan.

"I'm fine," She whispered towards the boy, some of her anger disappearing.

Long ago, she had known Cabba's mother. She had even fought alongside her once or twice on planet purging missions. Fasha had been tough, demanding, and downright vengeful. When she had learned that the boy was alive and had even fought in some inner-universe tournament, Sagie had been flabbergasted, albeit pleased. There was a point in time where she had thought all the Saiyans with the exception of herself and her children were dead. To learn that Cabba had survived was like a miracle that she couldn't quite grasp.

"Thank goodness," Cabba whispered, his gentle nature surprising her to this day, but then again, she had her own child who was gentle like him.

Bardock was a gentle child who was sensitive and worried about her and his brother constantly. He always had been that way. Truthfully, Cabba's gentleness and Bardock's gentleness made her question many things about Saiyans. The universe assumed that Saiyans were violent creatures by nature, but her own life experience taught her otherwise. Just like all creatures, Saiyans responded to nurture over nature.

"Have you seen my boys?" She asked out of curiosity more than anything.

"Yeah, they're helping Piccolo with some weird chick from universe 3." The boy straightened and glanced towards Vegeta who was currently executing a series of energy blast towards Eighteen. "I heard you yelling and wanted to check."

Sagie rolled her eyes and her shoulders back all at once, "I don't need to be checked on." She nudged his shoulder with her own, "Did you forget I'm the strongest fighter in our entire universe?"

"Try strongest in all the universes," He presented her with a cheeky grin that faltered after a second, "But—that doesn't mean you're invincible." His dark eyes went a bit tense. "The Saiyan's learned that lesson the hard way."

The woman shook her head and bumped her shoulder into the boy's own again. He wasn't her child, so she shouldn't have felt any need to show him affection. Yet, when she heard him speak in his soft voice, so unlike his mother's, she couldn't help but see Fasha. Surely, Fasha would have screamed at him for being emotional. She would have beat him up and called him names, but she would have still been proud of him. Cabba was strong and fierce and never backed down from a fight. He was a quick learner and a smart fighter. Fasha would have been so proud, and that made Sagie's heart sore.

Pushing those thoughts far into the back of her mind, Sagie turned around to leave, "I'm outta here, Cabba."

"But—," Cabba glanced towards Vegeta who was still battling with the android. "What about him?"

Sagie glanced over her shoulder at the man whom she had known pretty much her entire life. As she watched him fight, she knew every motion, followed it, predicted it. She probably knew what he was going to throw before he actually thought to throw it. Vegeta was too analytical when it came to fighting. He always had been, even as a boy.

"He's fine." She mumbled and turned away from Vegeta, leaving Cabba to watch the Saiyan Prince alone.

_Eighteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Earth_

Sagie opened her eyes slowly. Above her was the canopy of a forest, at least, she thought it was. Her eyesight was fuzzy, and when she blinked, it grew worse, making her head ache. Closing her eyes, she tried to force the pain away, but it only amplified. She gritted her teeth, using every ounce of will in her body to force the pain away, but no matter what she did, it didn't falter for even one second.

Opening her mouth in a silent howl, she suddenly became aware that the pain wasn't only in her head. Her stomach, no—lower—felt like it was on fire. A burning ripping sensation was exploding in her nether regions, and she knew why. Forcing her eyes opened, the Saiyan woman was met with the rays of late afternoon sun as they hit leaves, casting the world in melancholic shadowy light. Panting to keep the pain under control, she turned her head to her right and found blades of grass obscuring her vision. The pain in her lower abdomen intensified, and she contained a scream.

The warrior in her knew how to contain pain.

As soon as the sensation passed, she turned her head in the opposite direction, looking frantically for her son, but he was nowhere to be found. The pod was laying on its side, opened, dented, and blackened as if there had been a fire. It must have hit something upon entry, although she wasn't sure what. She couldn't remember anything at the moment. Shoving herself upwards, ignoring the fire burning in her lower gut, she continued to search this time using a power she had never told anyone she had, even Vegeta. She closed her eyes and pushed her energy out into the air. Instantly, like an echo, her energy returned to her, bringing back some of her son's own.

Eyes snapping back opened, she tried to sit up but pain made her fall back. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, her whole world seeming to rip in two. After several long moments, the pain ebbed to a dull ache and she opened her eyes only to freeze.

In the air above her, above the towering trees even, was a green man. He was staring down at her from his place in the sky, his eyes wide and his white cape blowing about his body. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered a race of men she had learned about in battle school: the Nemekians. Their planet was worthless, but their warriors were strong, few that there were. Some famine had nearly killed them all. The lack of value of the planet, though, put it on the Worthless List, so she had never been.

Unexpectantly, Kakarot appeared in the sky beside the man. "Ma!" He cried and dropped down, the Nemekian surprisingly following.

Her heart warmed, filling with happiness at the sight of her child. He landed beside her, panic in his tiny features.

"Er hilft dich!" He told her quickly and pointed at the man behind him who was standing off to the side, looking at her as if he were torn. Her son turned back to him, speaking the only language he knew, "Bitte! Hilft meine mutter!"

The Nemekian stepped back, looking as if he didn't even know why he had come in the first place. But then, unable to hold it in, Sagie released one lone, tiny—virtually insignificant—whimper. Her stomach lit on fire, pain lined her back and ran all the way back into her head. She closed her eyes, trying frantically to let it pass and not push, but she could feel the child. It would be crowning soon. She wouldn't have a choice at that point.

"Please," She bit out the words, looking towards the Nemekian in question with only one eye because that was all she could open, "Help me." She begged, saying in the universal tongue what her son could only say in Saiyan. "Please," She closed both eyes and threw her head back as the pain grew and grew again.

Blowing air out between her clenched teeth before inhaling it sharply, causing a hissing noise to enter the air, she let the pain pass. It took several minutes, but by the time her eyes opened again, the Namekian was kneeling beside her. Their eyes connected and, in them, she saw uncertainty mixed with distrust and anger.

Knowing she only had a few moments at most before the pain kicked back in, Sagie reached out and grabbed the Namekian's arm. He gasped and tried to pull away, but her grip was like death.

"I don't know who you are," She spoke so quickly that the man hesitated before trying to escape her grip again. "I don't know if you're evil or good or if you hate Saiyans," She could feel the beginning of a pain; they were way too close together. "But please—please—find one shred of mercy in your heart and help me, help him," Her eyes darted to Kakarot. "And this baby!"

Who knows which word was the magic one, but the Namekian's ears twitched on the side of his head at one of them. Growling to himself, clearly annoyed by his own decision, he bent down, scooped her up, and took off in the air.

Sagie felt her mind losing consciousness from the flight. Vaguely, she heard the cries of her child. Unwittingly, she felt the pain in her gut as contractions started to come closer together. The pains were mere minutes apart, and the intense, burning, stinging pressure of the child's head pushing down her birth canal was damn near unbearable. She had no idea where this Namekian was taking her. She could only hope it wasn't to hell.

Sagie drifted back towards conscious; eyes too tired to open. Breathing slowly, steadily, she didn't move. Her body was sinking into the most comfortable sheet and mattress she had ever known. The pillow under her head was so soft compared to the head-rest she used in her own bed. The sheets were like silk to her fingers, and it smelled so good. It smelled like warm, clean lavender gently misted by rain.

The soft hands of the breeze whisked over her body, touching the skin of her exposed arms over the sheets. She would have been perfectly content to drift away, disappear into unconscious, but a soft sound stopped her. On the edge of her hearing, she could just make out cooing and squawking. The sound of a very small baby issuing little complaints to the world.

Opening her eyes, she was about to push herself up to grab the child, not fully aware of the gravity of her own situation, when she heard a soft female voice.

"Hi there," The woman cooed back, the sound of her voice like a wind chime. "Are you hungry, little man?"

Sagie turned her head. Her eyes focused on the room she had ignored, and she paused. There sitting in a rocking chair before the opened window was a woman. A soft breeze ruffled her black hair that was held in a ponytail about her neck with two forelocks outlining her cheekbones. She was thin and delicate looking but there was muscle hidden under the folds of her dress. And, in her arms, was a tiny bundle of blue clothe. Using the tips of her toes, the woman rocked her and the baby back and forth in the chair while one hand reached towards a bottle that was resting in a strange contraption on the table beside the chair.

"I've got just the thing," Pushing the blankets away from the baby's face as she spoke, the woman gave Sagie a good view of the blanket's contents.

The chubby outline of a little cheek and spiky hair was all she needed to see to know it was a Saiyan baby in her arms. The tiny face was scrunched up, angry and hungry. Two little fists rubbed at his eyes. His mouth opened releasing the most annoyed squawk a baby could make.

"I know—I know," The woman brought the bottle to the opened, crying lips. The sound of suckling filled the air, and the woman hummed as she rocked back and forth. "Better, ne?"

"Ich habe hunger."

Dropping her graze and turning her head a bit, Sagie finally noticed Kakarot sitting in front of the woman in the rocking chair. He was watching her carefully. His clothes were different. He was dressed in what would be classified as peasant clothes on Vegeta-sei. A long tunic that was bright yellow and black pants that were almost too hard to see due to the tunic's length. His face was scrubbed clean, and his spiky hair was actually brushed through, making it look softer than naturally possible for a Saiyan.

The woman turned a bit, bouncing the baby as he ate, "Try again." She spoke with a gentle, firmness that it caught Sagie off guard. She could never recall hearing someone so patience with a child. Saiyan's weren't known for their tolerance of children.

Kakarot's shoulders tensed, making him appear a bit cross even though Sagie couldn't see his face. "I hungry." He relented, although his voice sounded obviously displeased.

Sagie's eyes widened. She had never heard her child speak in Standard Language. She had raised him on only Saiyan to honor his blood. Sure, she would teach him when he got older, but he was only five. She had at least another three years before she had to start prepping him to go to other worlds. For crying out loud, he had only just entered battle school that year! He was too young to be indoctrinated into the ways of the universe.

"I'll make you something super tasty," The woman smiled down at him, and Sagie saw the affection already becoming known in her eyes. "After your brother's done, okay?"

This seemed to appease Kakarot if the way his head bobbed happily up and down meant anything. Then, without reason, he jumped up and twisted around. He started across the room, a pleased smile on his face, only to freeze as his eyes landed on his mother. Immediately, they grew to ten times their normal size, and his face split into a grin the likes of which Sagie had never seen since.

"Ma!" He screamed and the sound made the woman in the rocking chair jump, causing the baby to become dislodged from the bottle.

Running across the room, ignoring the wailing baby, Kakarot launched himself onto the bed.

"Wait!" The woman called after him as she tried to comfort the wailing baby. "Don't jump on her."

It was too late for that.

Kakarot landed in his mother's lap. The woman winced at the horrific pain that went through her, but didn't let it show. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Kakarot who was sobbing loud enough to beat the wailing baby. It took some time to calm him down. He went on and on filling the blanks in Sagie's memories with his wails:

He told her how they had crashed and she hit her head. How the funny man had been in the woods nearby. How he had convinced the man to help them. How the man had picked her up and flown her to this woman's castle. How the woman in the rocking chair, named Chichi, had tried to attack the green man. How the green man had dumped Sagie and left before a fight actually broke out. How Chichi had immediately rushed Sagie to her room and helped delivered his baby brother as Sagie went in and out of consciousness. How Sagie had been asleep for a week and a half afterwards. How Chichi had taken care of him and the baby. How she had held them both, feed them, clothed them, and bathed them. How she had taken care of Sagie as well as she slept being gentle and tender and careful.

As she listened, Sagie looked towards the woman named Chichi. She sheepishly fed the baby, burped him, and changed him as she listened to the language that made no sense to her. After what felt like an eternity, Kakarot lost steam and clinging to his mother, fell into a restless, crying induced sleep.

Holding him against her, Sagie lifted her eyes and looked towards the woman who was rocking her other child to sleep. Chichi looked up at her as she cradled the tiny babe. The two women regarded each other for several minutes, neither knowing exactly what to say. Finally, Sagie found the ability to speak and the words were simple, but profound:

"Thank you."

Chichi smiled in return and stood. She had been wondering whether or not the woman spoke Japanese and was quite relieved now. "Would you like to meet," She approached Sagie, the baby tucked against her chest. "Your newest son? He's adorable."

Sagie felt tears forming in her eyes as the other woman turned the boy towards her, showing the face and spiky hair of a Saiyan. Reaching out with just her fingertips, Sagie touched the edge of the blue blanket. He was so tiny, so perfect. One of his tiny fists had settled in Chichi's hair, pulling slightly, but she didn't seem to mind.

"He came into the world screaming," Chichi told her as she looked down at the tiny bundle with love in her eyes. "I'm surprised the sound of him didn't wake you sooner."

Sagie couldn't help but smile, yet as she did, her stomach sank. The memory of Vegeta yelling at her to run, of her people screaming in terror all around her, of their energy winking out, disappearing from existence plagued her. She felt her whole-body fill with mourning. Everyone was gone, killed off in an instant by a homicidal maniac the likes of which the universe had never seen before. As far as she knew, her and her sons were the last of the Saiyans. Her fingers tightened on the sheets that covered her. Anger was building in her heart that she couldn't quell even if she tried.

I can't let him get away with this, she thought, hands tightening to the point of ripping the sheet.

Staring at her, the baby tucked up safely in her arms, Chichi didn't miss the tearing fabric or the haunted look in her eyes. "I don't know what happened to you," She whispered as she sat on the edge of the bed, removing the baby's hand from her hair. It fell limply as the boy snored, "You were in bad shape when Piccolo brought you." Her voice tensed as she said the man's name. "But—you're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

Sagie lifted her eyes up towards the woman. Kakarot shifted next to her, nose buried in her stomach, needing to smell her in his sleep, "Your—um—your name's Chichi, right?"

She nodded. The two tuffs of hair framing her face moved slightly as she did, "Gohan told you?"

"Gohan?"

"Sorry," Chichi laughed nervously. "I couldn't get him to tell me his name at first, so I started calling him Gohan—it was my grandfather's name," She looked down at the tiny boy curled at his mother's hip, smiling sweetly. "He didn't seem to mind. He even started answering to it after a few days."

"Gohan," Sagie looked down at the little boy, a decision already forming in her mind. "Did you name the baby too?"

Chichi's eyes went wide and she blushed, "I'm so sorry." She quickly apologized, "I didn't even—I—um."

"It's okay if you did," Sagie responded. "Kid's gotta have a name."

The human woman nodded. The softness of Sagie's voice somehow surprised her. Based on her condition when she had arrived, Chichi had assumed automatically that she was a fighter, and a far better one than her. For her to speak with such a soft, broken voice, spoke volumes to Chichi.

"What name did you give him?" Sagie asked. Her eyes had become distant.

"I—," Chichi hesitated for only a moment. "I've been calling him Goten."

"Goten," Reaching out her hand towards the blanket, Sagie's hand shook. "Is that a name common to your race?"

Chichi tilted her head to the side, a bit confused, but answered nonetheless, "It's not too common—but it's not an unknown name to my," Her soft black eyes widened as the human woman filled in the blank. "Race."

"I was going to call him Bardock." Sagie spoke softly as a plan began to form in her mind. It was a dangerous one, but it was made from love—an even more dangerous emotion.

"Well," Throat tightening, Chichi nodded and looked towards the tiny sleeping face, "He's your baby—name him what you want."

Watching the look of longing cross the other woman's face, Sagie felt a decision form in her heart. It was one that she would regret and support for the rest of her life. Nudging Kakarot away from her, she pushed herself into a sitting position and waited. Soon enough, Chichi looked up at her again, eyes flashing with pain. It was like the human already knew.

"What happened to you?" She asked, voice soft and not accusing, but full of genuine, sympathetic curiosity.

Sagie's hands shook as she relayed a series of events to the other woman that should have put her in a mental asylum. But Chichi wasn't a normal human. And she listened with ears that were used to unbelievable things. She had done quite a few herself over the years: battling monsters, going to the realm of the dead, meeting Kami-sama, defeating the Red Ribbon Army. Those things had been impossible for a little girl, and they had opened her mind to the realm of impossibility so much that she believed every word Sagie spoke.

"You want to go after him—this Frieza?"

"I have to. It is a matter of honor and pride," Sagie's voice was tight, but she knew her decision was right in a wrong way, "And I can't take them with me."

An odd hope, disgruntled in a way, formed in Chichi's chest. She had always dreamed of a family, but the right man had never turned up. Yet, now, there was a woman sitting before her with two children and a rock and hard place, "I—I couldn't. I just met you. How can you trust me with your children?"

"I saw you with them." Sagie placed a hand on one of Chichi's own. She didn't know this woman, but she knew without a doubt that her children were safe in her arms, "You'd be a much better mother than me."

Chichi stared at the woman, mouth slightly parted in shock. The hand that covered her own was calloused beyond belief. Even with the minimal contact between them, she could feel the roughness of experience—fighting.

"I can't take them where I'm going. If Frieza knew they were alive, he'd—he wouldn't rest until they were dead." Sagie knew she was begging and that was beneath her, but she couldn't stop the words.

"Then why go?" Chichi argued as she looked at this other woman. Even though Chichi was a fighter and had saved the Earth numerous times, deep down, she wanted a different life than the one she had always known. To be a wife and a mother, that was a dream she had had since she was a little girl. She couldn't imagine abandoning her children. It was just wrong.

Suddenly, Sagie's light touch on the back of her hand changed to a full-on grasp. Her fingers worked their way underneath Chichi's palm on the bed, clutching her hand desperately.

"I have to go." She began slowly, blinking back what seemed to be tears. "I can't—I can't let Frieza get away with what he did. He took advantage of my vulnerability. If I hadn't been pregnant, I could have stopped him. I could have done something!" Anger welled within her and she, without realizing it, tightened her grip on Chichi's hand to the point of almost causing pain. Images of her friends, of her family, flashed throughout the recesses of her mind. "I should have been able to save them." The tears swam in her eyes but didn't fall. "Please—take them," She lifted her head to look at Chichi who was staring at her openly. "Take them and keep them safe, so I can make this right."

Chichi looked at the tears the warrior wouldn't shed, and she found that she couldn't say no.

**Please Review**


	4. Monsters

**Chapter 4:**

**Monsters**

Sagie's feet skidded across the ring as her face stung from the force of a lucky blow. The feeling of the oncoming bruise made her entire body tingle with excitement that only a Saiyan can feel from being hit. One of the humans had once told her that all Saiyans were masochist. Sagie believed it. Inside of here now, she could hear the monster that rested within every Saiyan's very soul howl with delight. She wiped the blood on her chin with the back of her hand as she straightened to look at the other fighter before her.

He looked humanoid for the most part. At least, he had arms and legs and a head and torso like a humanoid alien, but the rest of him was almost bug like. His eyes were green and his ears were pointed. The corners of his red mouth were angled in such a way that he looked like he was permanently smirking, an expression that didn't match his somewhat humble personality.

She had been nice to him so far, allowing him to get a few hits in because she liked the way it felt. Masochism at its finest. Now though, the trickle of blood was causing the Saiyan fighter within her to take far too much control of her more rational brain. Licking her lips, tasting the copper, she narrowed her eyes and growled low in her throat.

Charging forward faster than the poor helpless creature from universe 3 could even hope to see, she pulled her knee up, holding it practically against her elbow. Cocking the heel backwards until it touched the back of her thigh, she screamed before launching it directly into the man's head.

The head snapped at an inhuman angle, and she heard the sound of bones crunching under the stress but not breaking. He went flying, legs sprawling out behind him and arms going limp. Smirking, she allowed her foot to barely touch the ring, using the split-second contact with the ground to launch herself in his direction. Her body paralleled the ring, flying faster than eyes can see in his direction.

Sending energy into her hands, preparing an onslaught, she tried her best to contain a bit of a pleasure filled snarl. Within seconds, she was underneath the creature, her body still flying towards the edge of the ring. Throwing her hands upwards, she placed them on his back and unleashed their energy.

A scream came from the grey and blue alien's throat, ripping out of him as his body was propelled upwards by her twin blasts. Dropping her weight to the ground, Sagie slammed her feet into the ring, bending at the knees before shooting upwards to follow him. The man didn't even have time to recover some ground before she sped past him, flipped to stop her momentum, and sent a kick to his gold-colored abs.

He flew, arms and legs flailing comically, and disappeared over the edge of the ring.

Smirking, Sagie landed on the ground about two or three feet from the edge and watched as he disappeared. He would reappear in the stands momentarily. Popping her neck before stretching out her back, she cleared her throat.

"Participant Nigrissi from Universe 3 has landed outside the ring," The Grand Priest announced, making Sagie smirk even wider.

"How lucky that he flew right towards me earlier," She clicked her tongue and brought her arms over her head to stretch. "Sure got my mind back in the fight."

Turning to face the ring once more, she scanned the area for her sons as she always did. It was a constant habit brought on by instincts she couldn't have controlled if she tried. Even though both boys were well into adulthood by Saiyan standards, she just had to instinctively keep an eye on their fights and progress. Of course, she wasn't going to jump in and help them unless they needed it (even then, she might not), but she still had to keep an eye out. It was more of a pride issue than anything else. She just took great pride in watching them fight. After all, their wins reflected well on her blood.

Unfortunately, she didn't see either of her sons.

She saw the old man Master Roshi and Tien from universe 7 as they battled another member of Universe 3. She thought his name was similar to Piccolo's, but honestly, she really couldn't bring herself to care all too much. One of the Piccolo's rushed by her, running parallel to her position. She wasn't sure if it was her Piccolo or not, but it didn't matter. He was fighting some creature that looked like an Oni from one of her son's Fairy Tale books from when they were children.

"You!"

Sagie thoughts stopped dead in her head as she slowly turned towards the voice. A woman was standing on an outcropping of ring. She was short with long green hair and a disgustingly pink dress on.

Pulling a face filled with disgust, Sagie actually took a step backwards, "What are you wearing?"

The light skinned, blue eyed creature flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Clothes befitting a beautiful maiden."

"You do realize you're in a fighting competition, right?"

"When one looks beautiful," She formed a wide circle with her hands, showing off every curse and nuance of her body, "They will fight their hardest!" She slammed a hand against her chest, right above her heart. "You—," She ripped the hand away and pointed at Sagie, "Can't possibly fight hard."

"Are you calling me ugly?" Sagie didn't know whether to be insulted or bored.

Laughing behind her hand, the maiden clicked her tongue once loudly, "No, my dear," She leaned forward, keeping her hand in place, "I'm calling you skanky."

Sagie glanced down at her clothes. The sport's bra was still in one piece and covered her breast adequately. One of her pants legs had ripped, but otherwise, she was completely clothed, "I look nothing like the prostitutes on Planet Cann." She looked up, smirking, "Now that's skanky. This—," She motioned to her body, "This is fighting ready!"

Shooting forward, fully prepared to attack the other woman, Sagie stopped when two more figures appeared at her sides.

"Brianne!" A short girl with brown hair and a blue dress landed beside the first. "Allow me to fight by your side."

"I as well," Another appeared on Brianne's left. Her short purple hair flying about her as she bowed slightly to the team's leader. "With our combined love—we can win!"

Sagie felt bile rise up in her throat, "What the fuck is wrong with you people?"

"You foul mouthed heathen!" The all three screamed and pointed at Sagie in unison.

Not one to be offended, Sagie shrugged, "Not the first time someone called me a heathen."

"You will never be able to deal with the power of our love." Brianne cried out with a smile as she lifted her hands into the air, "Let it ring! Let it cry out! The song of our love and victory!"

Suddenly, a multitude of universe 2 members appeared from nowhere, making Sagie jump nearly out of her skin. Not because she was surprised mind you, but because they all horrified her.

"The song of love and victory!" The other members of the team, a yardrat, a strange bat female, a creepy old man, and two ghoul looking things echoed the call of the _maidens_.

"Are they fighters," Sagie felt her entire body droop forward as she tried to wrap her mind around what she was seeing, "Or a daytime soap opera come to life?"

"Formation!" Brianne yelled as she lifted her hand in the air. The other two women followed, going completely off guard as hearts formed all around them.

"Okay, I've had enough," Jumping into the air, Sagie took the opportunity to hit Brianne right across the back, sending the woman flying across the ring.

"Brianne!" The other two girls and the rest of universe 2 screamed, all of them rushing after Brianne as her disenfranchised scream echoed.

"You'll pay for this!"

"I'm paying for it now." Rolling her eyes, Sagie tensed, fully prepared to take off after her so as to beat the shit out of her when her eyes suddenly landed on Frieza.

The reptilian creature was laughing sadistically as he kicked a strange pink humanoid alien in the ribs. The creature spun a dozen times in the air before slamming into a section of the once flat ring that was now jutting out of the ground.

A scream left the man's body and then he collapsed in a heap beside the rubble.

Frozen, Sagie watched in horror as Frieza approached the completely still body. The reptilian didn't do the honorable thing by simply eliminating him. Instead, Frieza allowed a red point of light to form on the tip of his pointer finger. He twisted his head to one side, his lips formed a cruel smirk, and he shot the energy forward. It hit the creature in the leg, a pointless hit. He was already down for the count. There was no reason to aim low.

The man spasmed in response, back arching, and head snapping back in pain. Frieza's laugh penetrated the air as he formed another blast on his finger tip and launched it directly at the warrior. This time he aimed for the warrior's exposed side, hoping to puncture a lung. It did.

Blood exploded from the warrior's mouth, and he wheezed, unable to breathe.

Sagie felt her body react without thought. Rushing forward, she shoved her foot so hard down on the tournament floor that it cracked under the force as she launched herself at Frieza's unsuspecting back.

"Enough!" She screamed, moving faster than the human eye could see. Her hair in a flash turned bright gold, her body used to shifting effortlessly into the transformed state after so many years of perfecting it obeying silent commands. Black hair that had hung down for the most part, partially spiked up, the yellow energy lighting it as her black eyes shifted to blue.

Her fist cocked back to her head, energy swirled around it, Frieza turned his head as if in slow motion, and her fist connected.

Up above the fight, the angels and their father shifted, unnoticeably so to those who were already eliminated and the Gods of Destruction. It wasn't the transformation that caught the Grand Priest and the Angels off guard, however. It was the reasoning. She had attacked to protect, not to win.

And that knowledge made the Grand Priest smile, eyes narrowed with intrigue.

Sagie's scream filled the air as her fist connected with Frieza's cheek, sending him skidding backwards. But she didn't stop there. Her fist and feet assaulted every exposed part of his body. Punches wildly made contact with his cheek, his chin, his neck, his throat, and feet. She indiscriminately hit everywhere from his back to his knees to his thighs and abs.

The scream didn't stop until she threw her own body backwards, gritted her teeth, and yanked even more power to the surface, shocking everyone in the arena who could sense energy as she ascended effortlessly. Her hair spiked even more, her muscles grew, the sleek body she had naturally becoming bigger, but not like Trunks and Vegeta's bodies during their fights with Cell.

No, Sagie transformed just like the Gohan of the universe 7 had during Cell's Tournament. Just like him, she had got it right. She had ascended without losing speed.

Frieza barely had time to prepare a slight defense before she was on him again, this time an Ascended Super Saiyan. Her fist made contact with his raised arm, leaving an obvious break in the skin. It looked almost as if the bone underneath the white skin was fractured. Flying forward, she shoved Frieza backwards who was snarling at her as he threw his weight down into the tournament floor. It broke apart underneath him as he used everything he had to stop himself from going any farther backwards.

Finally, he came to a halt, only a scant few yards away from the edge of the ring, "Bitch!"

The sound of his curse only made Sagie's eyes flash with more fury, "Bastard!"

Her assault started again. But unlike before, Frieza was prepared. His arms moved with skill, blocking every hand and every foot as it came at him. Kicks, punches, knees, even the head butts she tried to throw in between. Still, Frieza just barely managed to block each hit before it was followed by another more violent one, and that unnerved him to no end.

Suddenly, she leapt backwards, landing on a nearby mountain of rubble. Her hands snapped in front of her and she screamed as she launched thousands of energy blasts right towards him. Frieza snarled, launched himself into the air, and rushed towards her, dodging the attacks midair even though he couldn't use his energy to fly and maneuver. Cocking his hand back, forming a blast powerful enough to destroy a planet, Frieza let forth an infuriated growl.

Sagie knew from the sound alone that it was time to change tactics. Seconds before Frieza reached her, she pushed off the rubble, flinging herself sideways. Friza landed his hit on the ring, sending debris in all directions. Someone nearby screeched, caught up in the aftermath of the explosion. Whether they were eliminated or not, neither Frieza or Sagie cared.

Landing at least twenty-feet away from Frieza, Sagie took only enough time to reposition herself forward, before launching towards the demon spawn again. But this time, fate got in the way.

She was so focused on Frieza, her mind having gone blank at the sight of him torturing the defenseless, that she didn't see the fight off to their right. And that was nearly her downfall.

An explosion hit the ground right behind her, throwing her up and off her feet. She sailed forward, her body hit a rock, her whole body flying through it as she was flung farther up into the air, going end over end. Hitting the ground hard, she rolled, body getting banged up as she dug her fingernails into the ring. Coming to a stop, she barely managed to right herself before she came face to face with an energy blast from none-other than the bastard dictator himself.

She had no time to block. She had no time to think. All she had time to do was shove as much of her energy outwards as she could, using it to strengthen her skin against the burning energy.

For several seconds, she had no idea which way was up and which way was down. All she knew was that the entire world hurt and her left leg was on fire, literally. She felt the burn of rock against her flesh, and vaguely registered that she was on the ground, sliding.

"Sagie, look out!"

Her eyes snapped opened from the warning, and she frantically grabbed for anything she could to stop the momentum of her body. But there was nothing. She was in the one part of the ring that was unbroken and still smooth.

"Shi—," The curse didn't leave her mouth. Hands latched onto her, and her body was lifted into the air, unnerving her. Fighting back instantly against the hands, she didn't register the familiarity of them until the voice screamed at her.

"Dear lord, woman!" Vegeta growled in her ear as he sat her down. "I'm not the fucking enemy, damn it."

The voice didn't quell Sagie's anger at all, unfortunately. Turning swiftly, she punched Vegeta square in the cheek, sending his face sideways.

"Don't hit your own teammate, stupid! Damn Saiyans, what the hall is wrong with you?" Champa screamed from up above them, but neither Saiyan listened to him.

Used to such treatment from her, Vegeta growled but didn't hit her back like he wanted to. "Are you okay?" He asked and sank into a fighting stance, waiting for Frieza who could attack at any moment. Even though they couldn't see him through the smoke that bellowed all around them, he had to be nearby.

"God, why are so many people stalking me today?" Sagie snapped, and wiped something wet off her lower lip. She couldn't tell from feel whether it was blood or sweat. "You all act like I'm some delicate butterfly, magical girl. Dear lord, what's wrong with everyone!?"

Vegeta growled. The adrenaline in his body was making him snappier than normal with her, and he knew it. "Not even a thank you?" He sneered, eyes darting this way and that. "Typical bitch."

It took all her will-power not to hit him again, "That's rich." She snapped back, lowering her body weight into a stance of her own as her eyes too searched their perimeter. "You're the biggest bitch I know."

His eyes landed on her, filled with malice, but he didn't rise to her bait.

Ignoring the possible ramifications of her words, Sagie gritted her teeth, eyes snapping towards every break in the smoke wall she could find, "Where the fuck is that bastard?"

"Be patient."

Glaring at him out of the corner of her eyes, she snorted, "Shouldn't you be fighting that android?"

"She has a brother in that universe, apparently," Vegeta explained. "He grabbed her and drug her off."

"So, you didn't defeat her, then?"

Vegeta grimaced knowing already where this was going, "No."

"Your track record, continued," She released the words, being sure to make them as mocking as utterly possible, "Perfect score of zero."

"Sagie," He chastised with anger hinting in his voice. "Drop it."

Tensing as the smoke began to lift further, revealing more and more areas that lacked any sign of their adversary, Sagie didn't pull any punches—metaphorical as they were, "Win a fight and I will."

"Hey!" Vegeta snapped finally. "Will you fucking stop?"

"Stop what? Telling the truth?" She looked him directly in the eye.

The genetic black pupils and irises that all Saiyans had stared into one another. A lifetime of knowledge about each other wafted between them. She could see the pain in his eyes. Oh, he hid it well, but he could never really hide anything from her. She had known him too long. Hell, he had known her since nearly the moment she was born.

"Sagie," He spoke in a flat voice that clearly said he was trying to contain his emotions, "You can't take him on alone." The edge of authority in his voice was lost on Sagie. He had no authority over her at all. "Frieza is dangerous. Let me give you backup."

Wanting nothing more than to verbally and physically assault the man next to her, she spoke through clenched teeth, "What makes you think I'd work with you?"

Vegeta's answer was simple, "We used to."

She tightened her fist. She could feel her finger nails sinking into her palms even though she kept them insanely short for fighting. "We used to do a lot of shit together, Vegeta," She dug her heel into the ring below her. "Doesn't mean we have to now."

Vegeta was about to retort, but something told him he had better shut his mouth.

And Frieza's sudden reappearance confirmed it.

Coming out of the smoke, one of Frieza's strange three-toed feet stepped down on a piece of rubble. The toes gripped it between them, squeezed, and turned the rock into ashes underneath his foot. Hard eyes landed on the two Saiyans. The reptilian was very clearly pissed. His lips were drawn back almost mid snarl and, for all purpose and pretenses, he looked ready to fuck someone up.

"Be glad of that diversion," He bit out as he stepped through the smoke, body scuffed up. "You bitch."

For her part, Sagie inched forward in her fighting stance, "Why did I bother telling you my name?" She mocked as she shifted her weight towards her toes, preparing herself to charge forward. "You haven't used it even once!"

Shooting forward, ignoring whatever words left Vegeta's mouth from her movements, she charged Frieza dead on. Pulling energy from her stomach, she threw it through the rest of her body, drawing it into her hands as she formed tiny red energy balls on the tip of each finger. Dropping them to the ground as she went, she didn't hesitate even when Frieza started firing his own red energy blasts at her. Using reflexes taught to her by years of battle, she ducked, skidded, and jumped out of the way, never stopping her hands from performing their own diabolic purpose—creating a mine-field.

"Moron!" Behind her, Vegeta screamed as he realized that the red energy prevented him from following her into battle. A biproduct of Sagie's plan for them.

Frieza snarled as Sagie came into his attack range and dropped his nasty finger, preparing a full out palm strike instead. Ducking underneath it, Sagie got as close to Frieza as humanly possible, dodging his poor attempt at another energy attack, and aimed a swift uppercut to his chin. It connected just barely as she Frieza backflipped away from it.

"Shit," She cursed in the half second it took the man to flip his feet over his head, land on one toe, and launch himself towards her. Punches suddenly rained down on her body. Her hands moved like lightning catching every attack as Frieza tried his hardest to take her down.

She felt the wind wrapping around her body as she had to rush backwards. A punch landed in her hand, a kick against the side of her arm, another punch to her face just barely blocked with the inner curve of her forearm. Then, in a split second, an opening appeared. Grabbing Frieza's arm by the wrist, she pivoted on her heel, turning her whole body sideways, and shot her foot into Frieza's exposed stomach while she used the leverage of his arm to yank him into the hit. Spit flung from his mouth, splattering on her face as she twisted her body back around and sent the palm of her hand right into his throat.

The wheeze of his windpipe giving under the pressure of the hit delighted her entire body, but she didn't stop there. Spinning around, lifting her leg up as she did, she sent a kick right into his abs. Frieza didn't make a sound as the foot connected with his diaphragm and sent him reeling backwards into a nearby mountain of broken ring. Jumping upwards, Sagie put energy into her hands without thinking. A scream ripped from her throat, and she sent energy blast after energy blast towards the spot where Frieza's body had disappeared into the rubble.

Smoke filled the air, consuming everything around them, but she didn't let up. She couldn't let up. All she could do was grow lost in her mind as she fired. Her every thought consumed with the evils this man had once done to her.

After what felt like an eternity, Sagie stopped firing. She was breathing heavily. The smoke was clinging to the air around her, making her eyes sting. She felt her lower lip, surprisingly, tremble. Behind her, the weight of Vegeta's chi made her back tingle, but she didn't turn to look at him. She only had eyes for the smoke that was yet to clear.

And when it did, she had to fight back a scream.

Frieza was nowhere to be found.

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Weed_

Sagie walked through the strange market she had found herself in. It had been two years since her crash landing on Earth and her escape in her dented-up space pod. The pod had been so damaged that she only managed to get it to the Andromeda Galaxy before she had to land. She had no money, and so traveling across the galaxies had become a bit of a problem. She had stowed away, worked on merchant ships, and trained as she waited for safe passage between planets. And in all that time, as she conditioned her body, strengthened her every muscle, she had one thought in her head and one thought alone: her children.

She had left them with the human woman after barely a week on the planet. Kakarot had understood why his mother was leaving, but he had still cried like a baby as she closed the pod on him. Bardock was too little to understand nor care, but it still had hurt to leave him.

By the time she returned home, he wouldn't know who she was, and Kakarot would only have the vaguest of memories. Chichi would be there mother. At least, the only mother they had ever known. Sagie would be insignificant, and that was fine by her.

She wasn't meant to be a mother. She was a fighter—through and through. She wasn't meant to nurture; she was meant to kill.

"I need eight good workers!" A man standing at a nearby shipping company's stall called out as Sagie passed. "Ten credits for joining and ten for completion of the job."

Coming to a standstill, Sagie reached into her pockets. She was dangerously low on credits, and this was a merchant. She might be able to get closer to her destination by working for him. Turning towards the stall, Sagie glanced at the merchant. He was one of the Weedians. They were a race of very short people. No taller than three feet at best. They weren't designed for fighting by any means. Their bodies lacked muscle underneath their vast quantities of clothes. They wore long robes with billowing sleeves and hoods that covered their heads. They even wore a cloth over their mouths, leaving, truthfully, only their eyes exposed. Their eyes came in a variety of colors, unlike Saiyans, but the most common color was a deep, scrutinizing yellow that popped against their green skin. This merchant had those traditional yellow eyes.

Approaching him, Sagie towered above his head, "What type of work?"

The tiny man looked up at her and even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he smiled by the crinkling of his eyes, "Fighter's for hire to protect my transport."

"What's the destination?"

"Hoth." He told her plainly.

Sagie's eyebrow twitched. The planet Hoth was in the cold empire, exactly where she needed to go, "One way or two?"

"One," He eyed her, the yellow irises catching the light as he did, "You're a Saiyan, aren't you?"

Sagie immediately grew nervous. News had spread quickly of Vegeta-sei's destruction, so everyone knew when you saw a Saiyan they were wanted by Frieza. Luckily, the majority of the universe hated Frieza as much as the Saiyan's did, "What of it?"

"Nothing," The Weedian replied, "It's just convenient for me, don't you think?"

"Hm?"

"I needed eight people, but with a Saiyan," He reached up and grabbed the strip of clothe across his face. Pulling it downwards, he revealed a lipless curve that was more like a slit in the stem of a plant than a mouth. "I'll only need one." He had no teeth that she could discern, but he spoke clearly none-the-less.

Shifting with one eyebrow quirked, Sagie smiled too, "Then how 'bout you pay me double. I'm saving you money, so it's the least you could do."

He put his mouth scarf back, eyes still crinkled in a smile, "How very Saiyan of you." He stuck out his hand. Leaves grew on his finger tips that were barely visible due to the wide, long sleeves of his white robes. "I'll pay you ten credits now and another thirty upon completion, deal?"

Unhindered by the strange creature, Sagie stuck out her own hand, grasping his. He felt like the name of his race, a weed, "Deal."

It was a deal Sagie never should have made.

_-Planet Hoth-_

Pulling the protective winter suit closer around her body, Sagie growled slightly. Saiyans were not designed for cold, but here she was finishing unloading cargo on the Ice Planet Hoth. The wind on the planet was blowing at nearly blizzard speeds, causing the year-round snow layer to whip up into the air. The goggles she was wearing to protect her eyes from it hardly seemed sufficient as she made her way back to the ship, flying low to the ground where the wind was blocked by some buildings.

Never again, she told herself as the ship came into view and the merchant waiting in the ship's opened cargo bay. A force field was keeping the wind out, but the Weedian would lower it once she was close enough. Now that she was done, he would pay her another thirty credits which would be more than enough to cover the remainder of her journey into the interior of Frieza's planetary empire.

Stopping in front of the force field, Sagie wrapped her arms around her body and waited. The merchant on the other side of the force field was staring at her, but he didn't move to press the button that would allow her in. Shivering and irritated, Sagie bared her teeth at the man and reached up, ripping the goggles from her face so he could see the anger in her eyes.

"Oi!" She yelled above the den of blizzard force winds. "Let me in!"

The merchant didn't say anything, merely shock his head.

"Hey!" Irate, Sagie banged a fist on the force field. It shimmered in response but didn't waver. "You owe me thirty credits. You better not short me."

"Sorry," The man spoke calmly on the other side of the force field. "There was a better offer."

Unfortunately, it took Sagie three seconds too long to process what the man meant. A blow to her head made her whole world flip upside down. Falling downwards rapidly, she didn't have time to right herself before the fist connected again, hitting the same spot over and over while a second hand held her in place. Then, much to her horror, the hand grabbed her jacket, ripping it opened.

Screaming, fully prepared to beat the shit out of the person who was violating her in every way, Sagie drew her energy into her stomach only to freeze as a collar went around her neck. It clicked in place. The hands that had assaulted her were gone, and then the first shock came. Electricity flooded her and she wailed as every muscle in her body lit on fire from it. Falling out of the sky, she landed in the soft snow, body sizzling as the electricity dissipated.

"Fu—ck," She cursed already knowing exactly what had happened. Forcing energy to collect in her stomach again, she only managed to bring a fraction of it out before the electrical charge flew through her again, reacting to it.

The scream ripped from her throat again, but she fought against it, hoping she was strong enough to push through. But she was wrong, the pain quadrupled for every second she fought back. Her muscles ripped and her skin blistered in places. More and more volts of electricity ran through her until she was literally catching on fire from the amount. Mouth opened wide but with no sound escaping, she collapsed into the snow that was cold against her burned skin.

Laying their wide-eyed and barely conscious, she only vaguely registered a trickle of blood that was seeping out of the left corner of her mouth. She could feel the hot thread of it as it made its way to the ground, dripping off the side of her chin.

"Stand up."

The voice nearly made her scream. Snapping her head upwards, she looked directly at the last person she would have ever thought to see again in the universe.

He was wearing his Saiyan battle armor and even the red cape of the Crowned Prince, but there was also something very different about him that she couldn't place. His face was off. The expression on it was as indifferent as normal, but his eyes were—hollow. He looked, for lack of a better term, dead inside. And on his high-forehead, between the two twin sides of his widow's peak there was a strange symbol that she could never recall seeing before.

"Vegeta?" She finally whispered his name, confused and horrified.

He didn't appear to acknowledge her though, "Stand up."

Pushing herself onto her hands and knees presently, Sagie grunted from the pain that surprised her. Every square centimeter of her ached horribly. Her skin was on fire where she had been burned. She was almost naked too. The electric pulses had burned the remnants of her jacket and the body suit that rested under her armor. All that was left was the chest plate and part of the pants that hadn't been completely disintegrated.

Bracing herself, she pulled one knee out from under her. The motion took far more effort than it should have, shocking her. She had heard of energy collar before—but this one was different. It wasn't just controlling her energy; it was controlling the natural strength in her muscles as well.

Standing up straight, she rolled her shoulders so she could look down at Vegeta. Her eyes searched his complete emotionless face carefully, not knowing what was going on. Still, the collar around her neck gave her a horrific insight that made her blood run colder than the snow at her feet. He had made her powerless, and you didn't do that for no reason.

Suddenly, before she had time to react, Vegeta shot forward. Instinctively, she brought her energy to the surface, but the collar reacted. Electricity went through her whole body, shocking every nerve ending and making her body clench. Her back convulsed and she snapped her neck backwards involuntarily just as Vegeta threw a fist into her stomach. Doubling over, blood splattered the ground at her feet before Vegeta's foot formed a wide arch. It came above her head, an axe like motion, that ended not by chopping wood, but instead by his heel connecting with her exposed neck, fracturing a vertebra in her spinal column.

Sagie's face slammed into the snow. Pain raced up and down her spine. Vegeta reached down, yanked her up by her hair, and punched her square in the face seven times in a row. On the seventh, he released her hair, but didn't give her time to react. Without hesitation, he spun her around, raised up his knee, and kneed her soundly in the stomach. The tips of her ribs fractured from the force of the hit. Coughing up blood, she couldn't even blink before he grabbed one of her arms, laid the elbow across the same knee, and snapped it downwards, breaking the elbow in half.

The pain exploded within her, and oddly, she only had time to tell herself that childbirth had been worse, before he sent a kick to one of her knees. It hit her perfectly on the knee cape, cracking it. Even with abnormally hard Saiyan bones, she was no match for Vegeta with the collar on.

Inexplicitly satisfied, Vegeta dropped her unceremoniously on her side in the snow.

A cough tickled at the back of her throat as her stomach flipped. Blood splattered the ground, running down both sides of her mouth. Raising her head, she stared at the man before her not comprehending anything.

"Stand up."

She braced one hand on the ground and obeyed, using sheer will power to force herself back to her feet. Raising her head, she stumbled backwards, glaring at the man who had beaten the shit out of her. "What's wrong with you?" She whispered as she looked at him. Part of her was breaking and there was nothing she could do to stop the feeling.

He didn't reply, only took a step towards her.

"Vegeta!" She felt her body losing the battle to stay standing. The collar had eliminated her energy, and Vegeta had broken her body. The snow underneath her feet was doing its best to sooth the burns to her flesh, but the broken bones in her legs weren't designed to stand on. Yet, she was standing. Standing by sheer will alone, "What the fuck? Can't you hear me?" She brought a hand up to hold her side. She could feel the broken ribs. One was about to puncture her skin; there was no doubt.

"I can hear you."

The words made her whole body sink back to the ground. She couldn't stand anymore. "Why? Why are doing this?"

Vegeta took a step forward. His red cap was caught in the wind, blowing out behind him, "I'm following orders."

"Whose orders!?"

"Frieza."

The name echoed throughout her body, causing a cough to overtake her. Blood splattered on the ground in front of her, the red coated the snow. Looking down at the stains she had left on the once pristine white, Sagie felt her whole universe shift, "You're working for Frieza?"

"Yes."

She felt blood rushing up her throat again, but she swallowed it down. Shoving herself back to her feet, ignoring the way every part of her body screamed, she gritted her teeth. "Why would you work for that god forsaken bastard?"

The man came to stop only a few precious inches in front of her. A flicker of something crossed his eyes, as if he was fighting within himself. It disappeared within seconds.

"Did you forget what he did?" She pulled one stubborn, aching foot behind herself and lifted her front hand into a guard. "He destroyed our home." Unwarranted, a few tears formed in her eyelashes. "Our people." She shook her head back and forth as Vegeta clutched a hand at his side. "Why—why would you work with the man who killed our whole race!?"

The once prince of a nearly extinct mighty race, smirked and shrugged, "Why not?" Was all he said before his scouter flashed, orders appearing on the screen. He read them quickly, scoffed, and charged Sagie's failing body. He hit her square in the cheek, sending her up and off her feet.

Flying above the snow for at least several hundred feet, Sagie welcomed the moment her body landed in it. The cold was a balm on her aching body. Coming to a stop, Sagie instinctively curled into her side. Some hidden rocks and clogs of dirt that had been exposed by her body had ripped at her skin and shredded her clothes even further, leaving one breast fully exposed to the air and her pants shredded to the point she was sure she was completely indecent even by Saiyan standards.

Opening her eyes, the world blurred all around her. She lifted her head and watched as Vegeta made his way slowly towards her. He looked exactly the same, yet so very different from the man she remembered. How that was possible, she didn't know, but it hurt. It really, truly, completely hurt. Pushing her body up, the snow below her melting against her heated flesh, she swallowed the blood rushing up her throat.

"What happened to you?" She asked, coughed, and spit out more blood before continuing, "You're not—not the person you used to be."

He reached her, dark eyes narrowing into slits, "The Vegeta you once knew," He leaned down, shoving the marking he wore on his forehead in her face. The strangely written M burning into Sagie's mind. "Is dead!" He screamed into her face an energy blast forming in his hand. He pressed it against her side and fired at point blank rang.

Sagie didn't even have time to feel the pain before everything went pitch black.

Pleaase Review


	5. Nightmares

**Chapter 5: **

**Nightmares**

Frieza moved through the arena with careful precision even as his back knotted with irritation, "That bitch," He spat as he sent a red wave of his energy towards the back of a helpless fighter. He deliberately missed vital points; it wouldn't due to be disqualified. Instead, he aimed for an obvious weak spot in the red, robot creature's armor.

The armor cracked. Frieza walked towards the robot even as he continued to growl low under his breath. He was furious with that female Saiyan. He had never met a single female Saiyan so infuriating. Making his tail go taunt, he stopped beside the robot who was trying to recover from the wound and smacked his tail against the side of its face. The robot lost its balance, feet going over head, and flew towards the side of the ring. Not willing to let the outlet for his frustration get away so easily, Frieza jumped in front of him, stopping him from being eliminating by kicking him squarely in the back. The creature flew a few yards before hitting the ground and rolling end over end.

Frieza didn't even wait for him to skid to a halt before he landed on top of him. One of his large, three toed feet latched onto the robot's head, squeezing and squeezing.

"All participants from universe 9 have been eliminated."

Frieza let up the pressure on the robot and, like every other fighter in the arena, stopped to look at the Grand Priest.

"Zen-o-sama," The Priest turned towards the twin overseers of all universes, a rather strange smile on his face. "Will you do the honors?"

"Hai!" The two lifted up their hands in unison.

Universe 9 screamed from the bleachers, begging for mercy as all the fighters stared in disbelief at their blight.

Standing watching the other universe disappear, Friza felt pleasure rush up his throat. The absolute anguish that had crossed their faces was like a palm to his soul. He just couldn't help but enjoy their pain. Kicking the robot away from himself, Frieza didn't notice a nearby opponent who had stopped to watch the spectacle.

The robot landed at Bardock's feet, beeping with pain that surprised the boy. It was like the creature was more android than robot, which was strange but not something outside of the realm of his understanding of the world. Bending down, Bardock gently picked up the broken creature, "I'm sorry," He mumbled and threw it out of the ring. It was far too damage to stay in a competition where healing wasn't allowed.

Mission of mercy complete, the boy turned his attention towards Frieza, knowing the devil had caused the creature such pain. The arena was beginning to turn into a battle ground once more. The momentary lull of the fighting due to the significance of the first universe being erased only lasting a few scant minutes. Bardock's hands tightened into fist as he took in Frieza's sadistic, serial killer expression.

"Hey—moron!" He yelled across the short distance between them, "Stop getting off on people's deaths."

Frieza looked up towards a boy that he was excited to see, watching a universe be destroyed had got his blood pumping, "Another of Son Goku's spawn."

Landing in front of the robot, the man from universe 6 growled, "Try again." He spoke in a low voice that seemed to hide a promise within it.

"Oh?" Frieza pulled his foot back and kicked the robot hard, sending it up into the air and out of the ring in one motion. "That's right—the question of your paternity was never cleared. I guess that monkey didn't spawn you, then?"

Bardock didn't reply. Eyeing the lizard with hardened pupils and a tightly closed mouth, Bardock turned his body just slightly sideways. He wasn't sinking into a full out fighting stance yet, but he was preparing.

The corner of Frieza's mouth twitched with slight mirth, "How defiant, hm?" His tongue snaked from his mouth, wetting his lips, "Now—what was your name? You went by one of the monkey ones."

Bardock tightened one gloved hand into a fist, "The name's Bardock—a proper Saiyan name."

"Like I said," Frieza kept his voice so morbidly calm that it made Bardock's anger grow, "A monkey name."

Sinking down a bit lower, growling in the back of his throat, Bardock didn't take his eyes off the other man as he replied, "Better than a lizard one."

Frieza flicked his tail and narrowed his own gaze, "I've heard that name before, you know." He brought his eyebrows up high as if challenging the younger man, "There was a monkey in our universe with that name," He crossed his arms over his chest snidely, "I am proud to say I put him out of his misery."

Bardock's face flashed with surprise that soon turned into absolute heinous anger. Hands came up, forming tight fist and his power flowed around him. It tinged gold as the transformation of his people started to touch his body. Yelling only briefly, a split second, he forced the power tingling from his back into a full reality. Hair spiking up like Goku's own, it turned gold and his eyes went teal; he wasn't going to start this fight in base. He knew better from the stories his mother had told than to underestimate Frieza.

Holding up a hand, halting the boy before he charged, Frieza smiled sadistically, "Before this starts, please answer one question, Bardock-san?"

Caught off by the overly polite language, Bardock licked his lips, "What?"

"The female with your group, Sagie-san," Frieza felt his blood start to bubble. "She is your mother, yes?"

"Yes," Bardock felt his fingers twitch as he drug out his answer. Inexperience as a fighter had left him unaware of an important lesson: never answer the enemy.

Frieza's face broke into a smile, "Perfect."

Frieza moved faster than Bardock had ever seen an opponent move. In his base form as he was, and lacking in the knowledge of true battle as he was, Bardock didn't have the reaction time necessary to handle what was about to come.

The reptilian laced his fingers together within seconds and threw them like a club at the back of Bardock's exposed head. Bardock flew forward, pain splitting his neck where the hit had come down, but he didn't stop to relish in it. Flipping midair, he slammed his heels into the ground, skidding backwards as he looked quickly for Frieza. The man was already on the move and headed straight towards him.

Not bothering to pause for even a minute, Bardock twisted so he could run sideways, parallel to Frieza's original approach as he had been taught long ago. Frieza changed his position by slamming a foot into the ground and shoving off straight towards Bardock who was fully prepared to retaliate now that he had gained some distance. He may not have had experience fighting in a real battle that was against people who really wanted to hurt you, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to fight.

Twisting around, facing Frieza head on and better positioned, Bardock shoved off his tip toes. His body raced forward as he let out a battle cry worthy of any and every Saiyan that had come before him. Reaching Frieza in record time, he threw a punch right for the other man's face. It was caught within seconds, followed by ten punches of Frieza's own and a kick that instantly cracked a rib.

Gasping for breath, Bardock quickly began to dodge the hits and catch the punches and avoid the kicks. It took every ounce of concentration he possessed through. His eyes looked frantically for an opening on the more experienced fighter, but he didn't see even one.

Damn, he screamed internally as he felt Frieza's tail wrap around his waist. He hadn't been looking for an attack like that. He had only ever fought opponents who had hands and legs. He hadn't thought to look for a tail.

The tail tightened around his waist upsetting the cracked rib even further. His mouth opened in a silent scream that he wouldn't dare let penetrate the air. Hands clawed at the appendage, frantically trying to find a way out of it as the tail turned the fractured rib into a full out-break.

"That's it," Frieza laughed in his face as he squeezed hard, "Squirm monkey—," His hot breath touched Bardock's face and invaded his nose with its putrid smell. "Squirm."

Opening one eye, anger filling his whole body, Bardock slammed his head into Frieza's own as hard as he could. The tail instantly loosened and Bardock didn't waste a second of time. He followed the headbutt with a well-aimed punch right on Frieza's chin.

Frieza flew backwards, body hitting a wall formed by the ring being destroyed.

Following, Bardock used his ability to sense to find the bastard's power level and, ignoring the dust, began to attack without visual confirmation. He knew he was making contact with the man without having to see him. He felt the strangely smooth yet scaly skin of the weird reptilian as his knuckles came in contact with it, and then it was gone.

Blinking, having lost the energy signal and the physical connection with the creature, Bardock didn't stand a chance. He was just too inexperienced to fight alone. He needed a posse, and he had lost his in the chaos all around.

Frieza's foot made contact with his middle. Blood flew from his mouth as the broken rib punctured his lung. It was a pain that Bardock had never felt in his life. Flying above the ground by mere inches, he wheezed, unable to breathe. He could feel the blood coming up his throat and then he could feel more pain than he thought possible as Frieza kicked him up into the air.

The wind ripped around him. He was disoriented. He knew someone was screaming, and he hoped it wasn't him making a sound like a child crying for its mother. He hadn't begged for his biological mother in years, and he didn't want to start now.

Another hit threw him back towards the tournament floor, but this time he was able to get himself together. Spinning around, he landed on all fours, coughing (maybe even vomiting) up blood as he landed. Not bothering to look at the mess of it, he darted forward, knowing dimly that he had to get out of the way of Frieza who was no doubt plummeting towards him from the air.

Getting as much distance as possible, he instinctively brought his hands to his right side as he ran. He had to end this fight quickly, and there was only one sure fire way he knew how.

"Ka—," He began to build the necessary energy as his feet scrambled to escape from the nightmare that had plagued his mother's entire life. "Me," He stopped dead in his tracks, sliding around to face Frieza, as he positioned his hands, one facing up and the other down, against his right hip. "Hame," The power shone brightly as he bent his knees and shot up into the air just as Frieza reached his original position. "Ha!"

Bardock's scream filled the void as he unleashed the attack, aiming right for Frieza who was underneath him like a sitting duck. The blast hit the tournament floor making it crack and crumble as Bardock continued to scream, putting every last bit of energy he had into that attack. It was his last chance. It had to work.

A prickling and tingling against the back of his neck made Bardock's eyes widen.

No, he thought, just as Frieza hand wrapped around his throat from behind. The energy in his hands disappeared as his windpipe was nearly crushed before Frieza yanked him backwards and threw him hurtling towards the ground.

Goku landed in the middle of a pile of rubble with a rather loud exhale. This entire tournament was exhilarating to say the least, absolutely exhausting to say the most. He was flat out tired, and yet, he had never felt more awake and ready to go in his life. There were so many opponents to face, so many people of impossible strength and varying levels of skill. Even the 'weak' ones presented a challenge as he had just learned fighting with Vegeta against the Trio De Dangers and the rest of universe 9.

Briefly, his heart tightened in his chest. Universe 9 hadn't been much of an opponent, truthfully. After all, Vegeta and himself were able to take them out with only minor transformations for the most part. They had only had to go blue at the very last second to ensure that the three brothers would be eliminated. It really had been over kill, and that seemed unfair in a way. It just didn't seem right to overpower them so significantly, and then watch them die. He just couldn't help but feel that this was all wrong in a way. The joy in fighting was diminishing with each second as the reality of the situation hit him a little bit more.

And the Grand Priest—when Goku had looked at him and made eye contact with him. Well—the look on his face had said multitudes of things that kind of pissed Goku off, but he didn't understand why. It was like the Grand Priest was challenging him to something. What the challenge was, Goku couldn't be sure, but he was certain the Grand Priest had been trying to say something without words. It was that sense of knowing all over again.

Rubbing his head in irritation, Goku sighed heavily, "Come on," He coached himself, some irritation forming in his normally level and calm voice, "There's no time for this."

Explosions continued all around him as he thought out his next move. Absently, he pushed his senses outwards, double-checking on everyone in his team. He spent a second longer checking on Gohan, but upon finding the boy's power level healthy, stable, and exhilarated by battle, he simply smiled and turned his attention elsewhere.

And that's when he felt it.

Whipping his head around in the other direction, the hairs on the back of Goku's neck stood on end. There was animosity in the air, tainting a power level he knew well—too well, "Frieza—and," His eyes followed the Kamehameha wave as it seemed to evaporate. He was too far away to make out who had thrown it, but he knew it had to be someone from his universe. But, Krillin was eliminated, and Gohan was in the opposite direction. Maybe Master Roshi—

"No," Goku whispered, "His power's behind me—with Gohan." Blinking, he tried to push his senses outwards so he could feel Frieza's opponent, but he couldn't feel anything other than Frieza's own loathing.

Jumping across several new platforms in the ring that had been formed by bodies crashing and energy blasts hitting, Goku made his way towards Frieza's flaring power, desperate to solve the mystery. The amount of anger in Frieza's energy was making him antsy. The last time he had felt Frieza's energy flex this way was when Trunks had killed him and his father, King Cold.

Which meant one of two things: Frieza was in trouble or someone else was and that could only be—.

"Wait," Goku mumbled, finally realizing that the people of universe 6 might be able to use the Kamehameha wave as well.

The last person Goku could recall fighting Frieza from universe 6 was the Saiyan female. He had felt her energy flare spectacularly earlier. She obviously had the ability to turn Super Saiyan and even ascend which had made Goku nearly giddy. He would have to fight her, and he would as long as Frieza didn't eliminate her first. Judging by the amount of energy she could produce, however, he doubted she would be eliminated easily. So, it seemed logical that she wasn't the one fighting Frieza at the moment, but that left only three options—Bardock, Kakarot, and the other Krillin.

It took Goku barely ten seconds to cross the arena and enter the area where Frieza's energy was growing more and more malicious. And when he landed, the sight that greeted him, pissed Goku off more than the Grand Priest's annoying smirk.

Standing across from Frieza was the boy who looked like another version of himself: Bardock. Goku had no idea how Frieza had managed to corner the boy. Goku didn't even know how strong the boy was, but Frieza was staring straight at the child who was beaten to holy shit. His body was littered with wounds, his shirt destroyed, leaving the flesh of his chest and abs exposed. There was blood dripping down his face and from a wound in his side where a rib was sticking out, but he was still standing.

His hair was blond, denoting a Super Saiyan, but the child wasn't ascended, most likely not possessing the ability or being too weak to sustain it at the moment. Painfully, the boy shifted his weight, seeming to prepare himself for something. He didn't take his blue-green eyes off Frieza who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"This was almost too easy," Frieza spoke calmly.

The boy spit to the side, a tooth fell on the ground, skipping against the floor until it came to a halt. "You're just taking advantage of my bad day." The boy informed as he winced from speaking. Blood was running down the side of his mouth and his rib cage. Whatever had happened to him had been pretty damn bad.

"Well, I'm about to make it a hell of a lot worse." Frieza raised a hand up, forming an energy blast in his palm.

Goku growled from his concealed position, feeling torn as he watched the boy scream a final war cry. His whole body was telling him to step in and help the kid, but the logical part of his brain said that it wasn't his kid to help.

Bardock's scream ran throughout the void as he too formed a blast in his hand, but aimed it instead at the ground, catching Goku's eye.

Frieza released his beam just as Bardock fired the energy blast at his feet. The boy shot up and out of the trajectory of Frieza's hit. Flipping himself once he was high enough in the air, Bardock made his body as straight as possible, using the beauty of aerodynamics to throw himself towards Frieza. It was a wise move, done by someone whose body didn't have any fight left.

Frieza easily was able to counter, unsurprisingly. Spinning around, he slammed his tail straight into the boy's bleeding ribcage the second he was close enough to hit. Bardock went flying, crashing into a wall of upturned stone before breaking through it and hitting another one a good hundred yards away.

As the smoke cleared, the boy's prone body, now in its base form, told Goku all he needed to know. Bardock was down for the count unless someone stepped in, sooner rather than later. Glancing around for Kakarot or the other Piccolo, Goku tried to figure out what to do. He wanted to save the child, but doing so could kill everyone he loved. Still, Bardock was Goten; Goku knew it in his very soul. He knew the second he had seen the boy, and even if this was a Goten from another universe with a different mother, he was still Goku's son in some way shape or form.

Frieza was walking towards the unconscious boy. A hatred was forming in his narrowed eyes as he glared down at him, "Your mother," He spoke slowly catching Goku's attention, "Is going to regret," He reached down and grabbed the boy's head, yanking him by the hair out of the rubble. An energy blast formed in his hand and he pressed it to the boy's cheek, getting ready to fire. "Ever touching me."

Goku snapped.

Throwing his fingers to his head without one further thought, Goku materialized right next to Frieza and kicked him in the side just seconds before the blast made contact with the boy's cheek. Then, he shot a blast of energy at the lizard-hybrid who was so caught off guard that he didn't have time to block. Frieza went flying backwards, sailing across heaps of rubble.

"What the hell are you doing?" Beerus screamed from the stands as Goku sent his own teammate flying. "You first class moron!"

Ignoring the God of Destruction and the negative ramifications of his actions, Goku grabbed the boy before he collapsed on the ground. "Goten!" He called, wincing, forgetting. "Bardock," He corrected and shook the boy gently. "Wake up."

Twin black eyes opened slowly and then widened substantially at the strange man looking down at him, "What the he-l-ll?" He wheezed as he pushed away from Goku who easily let the boy go. But Bardock didn't make it far. He gasped for breath and held his side in pain.

"Your lung's punctured," Goku informed as he looked at the sheer amount of blood starting to form on the ground at the boy's feet.

"No shit," Bardock coughed, blood drippling down his chin. "Da-m-mn bast-ard."

"Frieza?"

"Who else?" Bardock forced himself to stand, and despite his disbelief that the strange Saiyan from universe 6 wasn't attacking him, put up the best guard he could even as he held his side, hissing with pain. "Damn," His eyes shifted from Goku to Frieza. "Frieza's gonna come back-k," The most painful cough he had ever experienced filled his throat. It took him a second to recover from it, blood splattered the ground. It was hard to tell if it had come from the cough or his side, "Madder than a—a hornet." He muttered to himself as he shifted back into his quasi-fighting stance that just looked more painful than defensive.

Goku blinked; he thought he had heard that phrase somewhere before, but wasn't quite sure where, "That might be so, but don't worry."

The boy's eyebrows narrowed as he tried to figure out what the hell was wrong with the man in front of him. Son Goku of universe 7 looked like him, unnervingly so. When he had first seen him before the tournament started, Bardock had assumed it was himself. He had even joked that in the other universe he was the older brother. But, when he had gotten close, he realized that wasn't possible. The man was too old, much older than himself and Kakarot. Still, he got the oddest feeling that this man was safe. He had no idea why, but he knew that Goku had no malevolent intent towards him. But the why of that bothered him: why was this man safe?

"Why—," He found it painful to speak, but he did anyway, "Help me?"

"Why not?" Goku answered as Frieza appeared above them looking madder than any fucking hornet Goku or Bardock had ever seen.

"I'm going to kill you!" Frieza screamed at the top of his lungs, a vein sticking out from his forehead.

"Get out of here!" Goku yelled at the boy as he shifted into Super Saiyan.

Bardock didn't have to be told twice. In a very un-Saiyan like move, compelled by instinct, he darted out of the way. It was better to fight another minute than to stand and die with Saiyan pride, at least, today that is.

Watching the boy go out of the corner of his eye, Goku used his Instantaneous Movement to place himself directly behind Frieza, placing the once-dictator in a hasty full Nelson. Frieza screeched, infuriated, his power spewing outwards into the arena as he watched his pray get away.

"What is the meaning of this, you stupid monkey!?" Frieza screeched as Goku kept him contained.

Goku thought to answer, but came up short. The truth was, he knew exactly why he had done what he did, but he doubted Frieza, or anyone for that matter, would actually understand. "Calm down." He spoke with an evenness that pissed Frieza off. "That wound will take him out soon enough. You torturing him would be pointless."

"That's not for you to decide, idiot!" Beerus continued to scream on the side line, but was ignored by both Frieza and Goku at this point. "How could you let him get away? When I get my hands on you—."

Goku tuned out the anger and turned his attention back to Frieza, "Now listen, I know you want to kill me and I'll give you a chance after the tournament. But for now," He kept his voice even. "It'd be best if I let you go and we take off in separate directions, thoughts?"

Seeing the logic in the monkey's words, but hating to agree with him, Frieza bit the inside of his cheek almost to the point of drawing blood, "When this is over, Goku-san," He spoke with deliberate calm, "I will murder you."

"Looking forward to it." Satisfied, Goku let go. Even if the alien turned on him, it didn't matter. Goku was confident in his ability to take him out.

As Frieza departed, Goku straightened. In the distance, he could practically feel the hatred dripping off Beerus. He wasn't looking forward to having to look the deity in the eye. Maybe if he went on to win the tournament the man would reconsider killing him.

Sagie ran through the smoke, hating that Vetega was behind her, but she had felt Bardock's energy waver. It was killing her that she didn't know where he was. The energy had gone so low that she couldn't track it any longer and was having to go by nothing but visual stimuli which was damn near impossible in fighting conditions such as these. She was almost reminded of battles she had had on unknown planets they were colonizing. There were times back then when the smoke had been so thick that you couldn't see your nose in front of your face.

Dodging a punch to her face from some unknown assailant, Sagie ignored the fighter even as Vegeta took him out behind her, throwing the unknown creature from some unknown universe out of the ring. The elimination sounded above her head, the Grand Priest doing his job, but she continued to move. She only had eyes for her child as she always had. Her children were everything even if she had once treated them like nothing.

As her thoughts plagued her, Bardock appeared out of the smoke.

He was covered in cuts and bruises. His clothes were ripped apart and a visible trail of blood was following the shaky footsteps of his body. Every fiber of Sagie's being screamed, but she didn't make a sound. She had her fingers to her forehead before she even knew they were moving. Appearing instantaneously in front of her son, she grabbed him, pulling him into her warm arms. Despite the fact that he was full grown and clearly too big to be held, she cradled him to her chest as he struggled against her while simultaneously breathing in her scent.

"Ma?" He whispered and the confusion in his voice made her entire body ache.

"Mama ist hier," She whispered into his hair as she clutched onto him. "Du bist okay. Mama wird dich beschutzen."

"Pretty—."

Sagie's whole body lit on fire in rage at the sound of someone preparing an attack in the remote vicinity of her poor child. Without turning an eyelash, she formed an energy beam in her hand, turned her palm towards Ribrianna, who had transformed at some point during the chaos, and unleashed the hit. The green haired warrior, who didn't have a prayer, was hit by the attack square in the back. She went flying, catching herself on a rock outcropping, but the sudden appearance of universe 6's Vegeta was nearly her doom.

"Can't you see the brat's hurt!?" Vegeta roared as he punched the woman right in the face.

Flying up over her feet, Ribrianne screamed in anguish as she disappeared behind a pillar of rock.

Ignoring Vegeta and the woman he had temporarily gotten rid of, Sagie pushed back some of Bardock's unruly hair to look into his face. He was breathing shallowly, but was conscious, she could tell.

"Who?" She whispered to him as she supported his neck. The truth was she already knew the answer to her own question; she just wanted confirmation. She needed to hear the words to channel the anger that was building inside of her towards a purpose: fucking killing him.

"Fr—," Bardock started coughing hard, blood splattered Sagie's face.

Concerned, yet not willing to show it on his face, Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and spoke through gritted teeth, "He can't breathe."

For her part, Sagie pulled the boy closer to her, and used her hand to wipe away some of the blood from Bardock's face, "Shut the fuck up, Vegeta."

"You should eliminate him." Vegeta knelt down beside her, studying the boy's wounds from a distance of only two feet. He wanted to inspect the child but knew better than getting too close; Sagie would murder him if he was close enough to grab. "In the stands, he'll get medical care."

"Since when," Sagie snapped her head up and looked at the male Saiyan with every single ounce of hatred she had for him in her eyes, "Did you get a say in how I protect my children?"

Vegeta opened his mouth fully prepared to unleash his own counter on her. Bardock's patience was near gone. He was done with her bullshit and had been for years, but Kakarot's intrusion accompanied by his little brother's coughing stopped Vegeta's protest.

"Bardock!" Kakarot appeared out of nowhere, practically slamming into the ground beside his brother and mother, "What the hell happened?" He spoke in Japanese as he assessed his brother's wounds. "I lost sight of you for two freaking minutes and you were beat to hell!"

Bardock opened one eye. The other was swollen over. "Bad—," He swallowed hard against the coughing, "Day."

"I can fucking see that," Kakarot stared at the boy.

He had been there the moment Bardock was born. He had been there the first time he drew breath as Chichi took him from the safety of their mother's womb. In those moments, as he watched the human woman wrap this boy in a towel and coo to him as he squawked, Kakarot had promised that nothing would ever happen to his brother. And then, when Kakarot had watched his mother disappear in a space pod to world's unknown only two weeks later, Kakarot had made another promise. The boy would never know true pain or true heartbreak. Kakarot would protect him forever from all things physical and psychological.

Kakarot had promised—and now that promise was broken.

"I'm so sorry," He whispered, not noticing that his mother was casually pushing Bardock into his own arms. He simply took the younger man, holding his head at an angle that allowed the blood to flow down instead of up his throat, "I'll get Piccolo to heal you."

Standing to her full height, listening to her oldest son with one ear while following the sounds of battle with the other, Sagie tightened her hands into fist. She could feel something bubbling up within her center. It was a sensation she had known her whole life, and she trusted in it more than anything else. A well of power that made itself known whenever she needed it. When she was hurt, when they were hurt, when she needed to protect someone far weaker than herself, this power jumped into her body. It had never failed her, and she knew it wouldn't now.

"Schnell," She whispered the word as she tried to control the power just long enough to give her last minute directions, "Dein Bruder braucht hilf von Piccolo schnell."

Lifting his own head in confusion, Kakarot followed his mother as she looked away from her children.

"Ma, was machst du?" He asked her as she stepped away from him. "Wo gehst du?" The language of their people was easy for his mother's ears to ignore. "Ma!"

"Sagie?" Vegeta tried this time, but she didn't acknowledge him either.

Turning to look at their mother as well, Bardock felt some word on his tongue, but it was lodged in his throat. And it died completely when she spoke.

"A long time ago," She spoke in a hushed voice that spoke of a lack of control. "I abandoned you both." She refused to look at either as she spoke. She could feel the energy in her body boiling, and she knew if she looked at Bardock even a second longer, the sight of his injuries would make her explode, "I did it to fulfill a promise I made as I watched our people die."

Memories from all those years ago collected in the back of her head: bloody and violent. A lifetime of fighting for one's life. A lifetime of spilling other peoples' blood as well as her own. A lifetime of abandoning those she loved to protect them from evil's they couldn't even imagine.

"And now I have to do that again."

"Mama," Bardock whispered, using the Saiyan equivalent of mommy.

Energy began to build around her at the sound, "Stay here—," She whispered, her brain starting to waver, becoming lost in memories, "Where you're safe."

More memories flashed in front of her eyes. More battles than she could count. She saw Frieza smirking. She saw Frieza aiming a blast at Vegeta's head. She saw Frieza standing with his foot on King Vegeta's stomach, laughing at his pain. She saw Frieza leaning towards her over a war table. She heard his voice in her ears:

_"I heard you had a child, Sagie. Now, why would you do something as foolish as that?"_

Her blood boiled and strange red waves of energy began to dance against her skin. They were like flames licking a piece of kindling. They danced up her arms, across her fingertips, along her ripped pants legs, up and down the one remaining strap of her sports bra.

Her children behind her could only stare in absolute fascination as those weird flames began to lick her hair, guiding each strand towards its path. It was as if the flames had a gravitational force like the moon. Streaks of red flooded the strands. Rocks on the ground began to tremble, making eerie tapping noises. Fighter's stopped mid-air, mid-punch, mid-blast, mid-kick. Even those who couldn't sense, turned in her direction whether their view was obstructed or not.

And even though it was obvious that Sagie was the epicenter of everything, she didn't make a sound. Silent and deadly, she let the power go. A roar filled the air that wasn't her voice but the sound of her energy being released.

Heat burst outwards from Sagie's body. Bardock, Kakarot, and Vegeta flung their hands in front of their face as the heat coming from Sagie threatened to melt their skin off. Hastily grabbing his younger brother, Kakarot jumped out of the direct path of the energy, knowing he had to shield his brother at all cost.

Watching the boys hide behind a nearby rock, Vegeta covered his face with crisscrossing arms. Looking between them, he tried to gauge where Sagie was, but all he could see was a tornado of red energy that was reaching up towards the sky.

And at its center, contained in the swirling mass, had to be Sagie.

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Deep Space_

Sagie opened her eyes even though they felt like lead. Hazy images filled her brain, but she couldn't process them. Bars ran from floor to ceiling yet weren't very tall. Maybe three or four feet. Closing her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision, she blinked them opened again after a few seconds. Sure enough, the momentary closure helped her mind finally understand what had been blocked out.

Sitting up hastily, Sagie slammed her head into the top of the 'ceiling,' making her lips part faintly. With one eye closed, she looked up at the metal that she had smashed her skull into and frowned. Her lips quirked back up, her eyes narrowed, and a faint laugh bubbled up in her chest that held no humor. Looking down, she stared out of the bars and across the way to the other cages.

Humanoid aliens rested in those cages as well. Some were curled on their sides, backs to her, asleep; others were huddled in the corners, vacant eyes staring into nothing. A few were crouched like animals, shifty eyed, and downright crazed looking. The glint of metal around all of their necks, gave Sagie pause. She knew that glint.

Her lips fell opened as she suddenly realized exactly where she was.

Vaguely, she brought up a shaky hand to touch the metal around her own neck. Her eyes grew huge, becoming the size of tea saucers. Wild eyed, she panicked and she swung herself around. Laying on her back, she cocked her knees back, aiming her heels towards the cage's bars. Under normal circumstances, those bars should have snapped, maybe even exploded, as her feet came in contact. But, as she tensed her muscles allowing her chi to flow through her, she felt the collar around her neck buzz with an electrical impulse.

Every muscle in her body exploded with pain. The pulsating energy lit her whole body on fire, burning every nerve ending simultaneously as it turned her own chi against her.

Smoking, she fell back onto the cage's floor. Her fingers twitched and her body spasmed. Alarms went off all around her, making the other people in their own cages shriek in fear. Even the ones that still had life in their eyes through themselves against the backs of their cages, attempting to hide from whatever was coming.

The sound of doors opening, then closing, barely reached her brain. Panting, she opened her eyes, seeing with horrifically blurred vision. A shadow appeared in front of her cage, just the head of a person. The tall hair, outlined in blurry black, was familiar to her, but the normally warm feeling she got when she saw it didn't come.

"You're awake."

Sagie bit her tongue as a rush of memories came back to her all at once, "Fuck off."

Vegeta ignored her, "You've been in artificial stasis for the past six months." He explained absently, "Frieza-sama didn't want you awake for the journey."

This caught her off guard. Her vision cleared, revealing the bored lines of Vegeta's face and the _M_ that stood meticulously drawn in Standard Language on his head, "Journey?"

He nodded. His eyes looked vacant, but in them, she saw something. A slight narrowing, perhaps, that seemed to signal that there was someone inside of him still, "Frieza-sama is looking for Saiyans that survived. We're about to arrive on a world where two survivors are suspected to be."

Sagie's body went cold.

"It took a while, but we are scheduled to land there in two hours."

Her body shook, but not from pain or from the collar around her neck or from fear. Lifting up her eyes, she stared straight at Vegeta. His own black eyes were still vacant, and that really pissed her off, "What planet are we landing on?" She whispered; her voice was slurred a bit from her long sleep. "Vegeta—talk to me!"

A flicker of understanding lined Vegeta's face, but then the _M_ on his forehead glowed brightly, "That information is classified," He spoke clearly, but she could see the tightening of his jaw as he bit down the words.

"Vegeta!" She screamed but the man didn't react to his name. "You can't be serious," She dragged her body up into a hunched position. The back of her shoulder blades nearly touched the top of the cage, "Come on, you bastard, it's me—Sagie." She spat as she spoke. The spit landed on his cheek, but he didn't appear to even acknowledge it. "You used to tell me everything!" Panic went up her throat in the form of bile. "Please—please—you have to tell me, what planet is it? Can't you even hear me?" She gritted her teeth, accidentally biting down on her tongue, releasing the instant taste of copper into her mouth. "What happened to you?"

The door to the room opened. Vegeta turned and looked right towards it as the creature that had done this to him and her both stepped into the room. In his base form, pink and purple, short and somewhat stocky, was none other than Frieza.

"Well," Frieza turned to look at the man in question, but Vegeta didn't make eye contact. "Did you deliver my message like a good pet, Vegeta-san?"

"Yes," Vegeta's eyebrow twitched slightly, but otherwise, he didn't react.

"Excellent," Frieza stepped further into the room. The door easily lowered behind him as his black tipped tail flicked back and forth. Crossing the room, Frieza looked straight at Sagie. His dark eyes narrowed and his purple lips formed into a sadistic smirk. "Did you have a good sleep, Sagie-san?"

Hate flooded Sagie's face, but she didn't grace Frieza with an answer.

"Refusing to speak, huh?" Frieza laughed slightly. "The only way you can rebel, anymore, yes?"

Sagie felt the power in her body starting to bubble up and the collar reacted in response. A surge of millions of volts of electricity, interacting with her own chi, surged through her body. Gritting her teeth as Frieza laughed openly at the light show, she kept her screams contained. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of hearing her cry.

The lightshow dissipated and Frieza's laugh shifted to a low chuckle, "Best to keep yourself under control, Sagie-san," Frieza stood at Vetega's side, but the man didn't so much as flinch. Whatever or whoever was controlling him had done an excellent job. Leaning forward, staring into Sagie's one opened eye, Frieza cocked his head to the side. "A little birdie told me that you escaped Vegeta-sei by stealing a space pod and sneaking passed my attack."

Sagie did her best to keep the welling energy within her under control, so she wouldn't be shocked again.

"That same little birdie," Frieza placed a hand on Vegeta's shoulder, squeezing. "Just so happened to be the person who put the coordinates into the pod you escaped in."

Eyes widening, Sagie glanced towards Vegeta in disbelief, "You didn't—."

"He had to," Frieza's tail waved behind him like a delighted puppy. "You see—I saved him from the explosion that should have killed you, and—," Frieza tapped Vegeta's forehead, "Had one of my lovely minions utilize their ability to control people's minds on him. Vegeta won't listen to a soul but me."

Sagie's stomach dropped, "No."

"Oh, yes," Frieza tapped one long black nail against his purple lips, "And now—using the information he so humbly gave me," Frieza took the nail away from his own mouth and brought it to the side of Vegeta's head. Carefully, he traced Vegeta's still firm jawline, running the nail against the skin just hard enough to cause a welt of red, "We're about to land on my favorite planet," Frieza stabbed his nail into the spot where Vegeta's chin lined up with his eye. Blood formed and pooled against the black nail, but Vegeta didn't move or breathe differently. "I believe it's your favorite too—for the same reason."

Sagie could have died in that moment.

Pulling the nail away from the side of Vegeta's face, Frieza licked the blood off and smiled at the Prince who was stone faced, "There are Saiyans there, correct?"

Her heart stopped in her chest and a hatred she had never known before began to build.

Turning fully towards Sagie, Frieza smirked, "Vegeta-san and yourself, Sagie-san, will be going to that planet now, to reunite with them," Frieza leaned forward, placing his head practically against the bars of the cage. "I'm afraid I won't be joining you for the reunion. I have business elsewhere on the planet Namek," He whispered, voice filled with delight, "But—while I have you here, I figured I'd give you a rundown on your itinerary." Twin eyes twinkled with mirth, "First, you'll land. Second, you'll find the two Saiyans I know you left there before coming for me—," His tongue snacked out of his mouth and licked his lips, "And, third—you'll watch as Vegeta-san rips them limb from limb."

Sagie screamed. Her power flew to the surface, but the collar did its job too well. Instantly, her body was flung straight up. Her head slammed into the cage again, and she collapsed onto her side as electricity burned throughout her body. Suppressing her power quickly, Sagie breathed heavily as the electricity stopped coursing through her veins.

"Come Vegeta-san."

She heard Frieza speak, but her version was completely black.

"You must prepare your and Sagie's craft. We will part ways today."

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	6. Destruction

**Chapter 6:**

**Destruction**

"Where in the world is that power coming from?" The God of Destruction from Universe 4 cried out; his large buck teeth making his words uncomfortably squeaky.

For her part, Vados leaned forward in her seat as did several of the other angels present, "Curious," She whispered and tapped her staff against her chin before turning towards her younger brother. She didn't speak, but she did watch him.

Whis was well versed in what they were dealing with. Even though she was the old sibling and considerably stronger, she knew that Whis understood things about the nature of the universe and mortals that she had never been drawn to learning. With any luck, he would be able to discern what was happening to Sagie better than Vados. Even though Vados did have an inclining herself, she knew Whis would have more than just an inclining. He would know or at least be able to discern the truth with enough time.

The younger angel was sitting in a similar position as his elder sister, leaning forward as the eliminated member of his universe (Krillin was the only one so far) and their Supreme Kais stared opened-mouthed at the female Saiyan from universe 6. His brows were knitted, and he had placed his chin in the space between his thumb and pointer finger. It was a sure sign that he was deep in thought. Then, a spark of understanding appeared on his face, and he leaned back, turning his head towards her.

Vados made eye contact with her brother, and he sent her a smile, confirming that her inclining was correct.

"Can you feel that heat, Beerus?" Champa stuck out his tongue at his brother, ridiculously, missing the exchange between the two angles. "That's what's gonna eliminate you fools!"

Beerus jumped to his feet shaking a fist at his brother, just as ignorant, "You call that heat?" He crossed his arms over his chest and laughed loudly. "I've felt more heat on the ice planet Hoth!"

Champa screamed in rage, shaking a fist, "I'm going to make you eat those words!"

"How are you gonna cook 'em?" Beerus snarled back. "There's not enough heat!"

"You're a cat," Champa screeched, his ears twitching and twisting in anger, "Eat 'em raw!"

"Now—now—Lord Champa," Vados gently interrupted the feud. "I believe it would be best to forget food at a time like this and concentrate on the fighters." She held up one finger and smiled brightly. "Plus, snaking between meals isn't allowed by your current weight loss program."

If Champa said something threatening at the comment on his weight, no one heard because Sagie began to scream. The whirlwind of energy that had surrounded her diminished, revealing something that gave all the gods absolute pause.

"That's not possible," Anat, the Surpreme Kai of universe one, whispered as he uncrossed his feet and leaned forward in his seat.

"It looks like it's happening though," The nine-tailed fox God of Destruction stood up to get a better look as did a few of the other spectators that had been eliminated from various universes.

"It is very possible," Whis spoke calmly from his position behind the other members of his universe. "And remarkable."

Turning in his seat, Krillin looked towards the angel absolutely perplexed, "What's going on with her, Whis-san?" He asked as respectfully as he could even though he felt dumb for asking.

"Sagie-san is emitting a tremendous amount of energy," Whis explained calmly as other gods shifted in their seats, crossing and uncrossing their arms and legs, shifting forward then leaning back uncomfortably. None of them wanted the truth of the matter spoken out loud, but that didn't stop Whis, "The nature of which is on par," Whis' smile was near devious as his eyes twinkled, "With a God of Destruction."

"What!" Krillin shouted as did several other mortals that had been listening in and the Supreme Kai of his own universe, "You mean—she's—?"

"I heard rumors of this—of a God of Destruction in the making being present in one of the universes," One of the Supreme Kai's from Universe 2 mumbled, "But to actually see it is unreal—improbable even."

"She's not a God of Destruction yet," The nine-tailed fox crossed his legs and arms simultaneously, "Being able to access that power and being able to use it are two different things."

"Very true," The Supreme Kai of universe 2 agreed as did several other Kais who nodded. "Let us watch and absorb."

"I am enjoying this energy—its soothing on the muscles," The amphibian looking God of Destruction for universe 5 rubbed one of his whiskers as Sagie's roar filled the entirety of the void.

Down on the tournament floor, Gohan shielded his eyes from the heat of Sagie's energy whipping around the arena. It was like a tornado swirling around her. The energy pulsed, radiated, and ripped like a violent wind. Dozens of lesser, weak warriors were being flung off the stage by the sheer veracity of it. The Grand Priest wasn't even calling full eliminations anymore, just reciting names as the Zeno's played with their Godpad.

Landing beside him, covering his face with the back of one hand, Piccolo looked at Gohan out of the corner of his eye, "Her power just keeps increasing."

"I know," Gohan looked around the ring with both his eyes and his senses, locating all the members of their universe. Everyone appeared stable; all of them were strong enough to stay standing against this power, "We need to regroup." He commanded and jumped towards the closest member of their team: Tien.

Piccolo followed as Sagie's power continued to grow. She wasn't attacking yet, but it was obvious that when she did, it would take a whole group to bring her down.

"Tien-san!" Gohan screamed as they came close enough but didn't slow down.

Getting the message, Tien joined them as they continued towards the next power level: Master Roshi. One by one, Gohan collected their team together with the exception of Vegeta, Frieza, and his own father. He had no idea where they were, but at the very least, himself, Master Roshi, Eighteen, Seventeen, Tien, and Piccolo were together once more. When Sagie finally attacked, they would at least have a fighting chance.

"We should try to get her now," Tien had to yell above the raging storm of energy.

"There's no way we can get close," Gohan vetoed as he looked at the group around him, hoping someone would be able to contradict him.

"Her energy is too strong," Seventeen agreed, his voice as mild as ever. "If we approached now, we would just be blown back."

"So, what do we do?" Tien pressed further, looking towards the more experienced fighters. He wasn't dumb. He knew he didn't have even near the talent as some of the people around him. He was here because they knew he wouldn't be eliminated all too easily. Tien had enough talent to at least stay in the ring, but that didn't mean he was on par with the men and women around him.

"The only thing we can do," Piccolo tightened his hands into fist as he looked towards the swirling mass of energy, "Wait for a moment to strike."

Nodding his head once in a short bit of agreement, Gohan pushed his senses outwards, trying to locate his father in the mess. Gohan may have been team leader, but he, much like Tien, knew his own limits. He was a good tactician, always had been, but he lacked something vital they needed right now: creativity. Gohan could plan the battle out with enough time, but Goku could fly by the seat of his pants and successfully implement an impossible strategy. It was a skill that might just save all their lives.

_Where are you, Otou-san?_ Gohan asked just himself, not wanting the others to hear him, a full-grown man, beg for his father.

Goku landed as close to Sagie as he could possibly get. The heat coming off her body was damn near lava against his skin. Even as a Saiyan, a creature with far tougher skin than the average alien species (according to Vegeta), he couldn't withstand this energy for very long. Eyeing the whirlwind around her, he searched for any point where he could attack, but the wind appeared way too strong to penetrate.

Forming a ki-blast in his hand as an experiment, Goku breathed in deeply before sending it into the vortex. Instantly, the blast was yanked into the rotational pull and went flying around it and upwards. He watched as it flew like debris around the invisible body of Sagie before being shot upwards and into the air above the funnel. The blast flew through the air, landing on the opposite side of the ring before exploding. Vaguely, he hoped no one was there to get hit by it. The blast had increased in power from going through Sagie's energy.

"Damn," Goku cursed as his eyes went back to Sagie.

There was no way in. His only option was to wait her out, which seemed like a bad one. Despite the tingling anticipation going up and down his back, he really didn't want to know what this girl would be like all powered up. Even he, secretly in his heart of hearts, felt hesitant. Beating her would not, under any circumstances, be remotely easily. Still, that feeling had never stopped him before. Something else was truly at work here, making him hesitate.

It was another feeling—a strange part of him—that was telling him he shouldn't fight her.

Goku gulped down the weird feeling. The sense of knowing doubled in his soul, and he shook it off. That same sense of knowing had already made him let the other Goten, Bardock, go. It had made him protect the boy and, now, it was making him second guess himself. It was telling him that attacking her was wrong. That it would be like attacking someone from his own universe—.

"What is wrong with me?"

Abruptly, the tornado stopped moving. The energy that had been swirling around Sagie's body fell and dissipated, revealing the fighter herself. Her sports bra was now strapless and barely covering her body appropriately. A few good energy blasts unblocked would expose her breasts. Her pants were torn up, practically short shorts, revealing muscular legs that were scarred all over.

And her hair—her hair was spiked all the way up but still black with a strange tint of what appeared to be grey. The red energy that surrounded it made it shift and change color constantly—black to grey to almost white to red to a pinkish color then back to black once more.

The heat coming off of her was intense, but Goku knew that he could handle it. Regardless, however, for the first time in perhaps his whole life, the Saiyan thought for just a second before charging in, but only a second. Tightening his fist in front of him, Goku did what he always did: he went all in.

Propelling himself downwards, still in base form, Goku cocked his heel back, aiming it right at the waiting Saiyan female's head.

Sagie's eyes looked up at him, sensing the energy shift, but there were no irises or pupils to be seen. Her eyes were just white, completely and utterly devoid of anything.

A shiver went up Goku's spine that he couldn't explain. He had never truly known fear in a fight his entire life, with one exception. He had been scared when he fought Raditz, but that was because Gohan had been only four and trapped by the bastard. His fear was for his child, and it had terrified him more than anything else he had ever felt in his life, until now. Yet, the fear he felt now was different. It was a fear for his entire universe because, for the first time in his life, Goku wondered whether or not this opponent could be beaten by anyone.

From where he was still hovering, held up by not the power of flight, but the pressure of pure energy, he ignored all his contradicting emotions and attacked.

The kick connected directly with her head, but the woman didn't flinch or respond. Needing to test her strength and resilience, Goku continued hitting her with all his might, but she didn't react. Pulling away from her, Goku shoved power up his spine. His hair turned gold instantly, and he rushed forward. Sending as many techniques as he could at her, he danced around her body—punching, kicking, throwing minor energy blasts—but once more she didn't move at all.

_Shit_, he thought as he once more retreated just long enough to ascend to a Super Saiyan level two. His foot barely made contact with the ground as he hurled himself at her once more. This time, he saw a flicker in her eyes—an acknowledgment of movement. Smirking, Goku aimed a punch towards her face, which she caught.

A scream ripped from his throat as she sent him hurdling through the air. He hadn't even seen how she did it.

Slamming into the ground, his body flipped several times until he managed to right himself. Landing on shaky feet, he skidded backwards, eyes looking frantically for his opponent. Sagie was still standing where he had left her, but her eyes weren't on him. She was actively searching the arena for something. The power around her flickered and glowed, hiding the finer points of her stance from Goku. Tensing a bit, he quickly went over his next move. He could go to Super Saiyan God, increase his speed without losing too much stamina, but he already knew it would be worthless. He needed the strength of blue.

Bending his knees, Goku launched himself into the air and yanked all the energy he could to the surface. Blue whirled around his body, surrounding every part of his being. His hair spiked up, changed to teal, and his muscles grew moderately, maintaining an easy enough size to maneuver. He wouldn't use the kai-o-ken just yet but keep it in his back pocket instead.

Not waiting a moment longer, Goku did a forward flip, aiming his head down, and shot straight towards Sagie. The woman's whole face contorted with rage even though she lacked the pupils necessary to see his movement, and she brought her hands up, forming an x. Goku's punch slammed into her crossed arms with enough force to break the strongest metal ever conceived by man or god.

Sagie didn't even move backwards.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Goku continued to punch, hitting the same spot over and over again in hopes of weakening her guard. Much like the first hit, however, the woman didn't appear phased. She gritted her teeth, exposing them all the way to the gum line, and sank her weight downwards. The ring cracked underneath her, and she launched forward, sending her head right into Goku's own.

Goku flew upwards into the air, and Sagie shoved off her own feet following him. The male Saiyan barely had enough time to right himself before she was on him, moving at speeds Goku had never seen in his life or death. Her hands hit every part of him, breaking ribs, ripping flesh, and (he suspected) cracking his skull. Forming an energy blast in his hands, Goku shoved it against her exposed stomach just as one of her fists connected with his cheek throwing him backwards.

The blast exploded against her stomach, ripping the sport's bra off her, only to reveal a traditional, white, cotton layer underneath (much to the disappointment of Master Roshi who was watching with the others below). Otherwise, however, the blast didn't hinder her in the least. Moving with speed that most of the mortals couldn't follow, she went right towards Goku's falling form, aiming her knee towards his exposed stomach. She hit him square on, making his eyes pop and a combination of spit and blood fly from his mouth as they crashed towards the ring below.

Goku screeched as his back hit the ring. The protection of his own blue energy did little to lessen the impact as the ring crumbled underneath him. Sagie flipped backwards and up into the air, energy blasts already forming in her hands to launch another assault at him. Knowing he didn't have a second to spare, Goku did a kip up, landed on his feet, and launched himself straight towards her.

The energy blast came from her hands, but by using instant transmission, Goku managed to dodge each one as he approached her.

Unfortunately, Goku didn't realize the full purpose of the attack until it was too late. The energy blast had not been meant to hit him; they had been meant to surround him.

Snarling, Sagie stopped her battery of blasts, widened her hands, forming the shape of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man before she slammed her hands together. The energy blasts that now surrounded Goku instantaneously flew towards him. Hundreds of them hit Goku simultaneously; his scream telling everyone in the ring how utterly painful the experience actually was.

Flying through the debris, Sagie took that opportunity to punch Goku right in the jaw. The Saiyan flew backwards, slamming into the ground, his body demolishing the ring as his shoulder dug into it. Flipping end over end, he could feel rocks embedding in his skin, ripping it opened until he finally stopped tumbling and just skidded to a halt. The blue transformation left his body that was now unable to maintain it, and he coughed up a sizable amount of blood.

"Otou-san!"

Goku's eyes opened slowly from the sound, and he sat up grabbing his side in pain, "Damn!" He cried out even as he felt his son's hand against his shoulder, "That stings." If he had been anything other than a Saiyan, he probably would have been dead.

"Are you okay, Otou-san?" Gohan whispered as he knelt by his father, but didn't look at him. He was too busy looking for the Saiyan woman.

"Yeah," Goku shook his head and placed one hand on the ground, guiding himself to a standing position. "She's pretty damn strong though."

"You went blue and barely even made a dent." Gohan's voice was tight as he too stood at his father's side, both of them watching as people's bodies suddenly went flying all around them.

Sagie was on the warpath. Even with her mind clouded by the energy, she continued forward, wanting nothing more than to take the motherfucker out who had hurt her child. Everyone who got in her way would just be collateral damage like Goku.

Gulping, Gohan tightened his grip on his father's shoulder, looking for comfort in the connection, "I think the only thing you actually hurt were her clothes." He mumbled while watching the woman send another member of universe 10 over the edge.

"I know," Goku smiled crookedly, "It's kind of an exciting, isn't it?"

At first, Gohan looked towards his father like he was crazy, but then he felt his own heartbeat accelerate almost against his will. Even as a half Saiyan, he knew what that sensation meant. He had felt it his entire life in times like this. It was the Saiyan part of his body taking over just a little too much. Sometimes, he even wondered if he had a split personality or something, but he knew it was just instincts, deep and old and uncontainable.

"Yeah," He licked his lips, the adrenaline making his toes curl in his boots. "It makes the blood pump."

Goku blew his bangs out of his face and looked towards his son expectantly, "I have an idea, but we're gonna need some teamwork. Think you can get everyone organized, Captain?"

Gohan's face went a little red, but he nodded nonetheless, "No problem!"

Goku smiled, resisting the urge to ruffle his son's hair. Gohan was much too old for such a gesture, "Good—," He looked towards Sagie's path of destruction, "It's time to fight energy with energy, understand?"

Gohan's eyes flickered with confusion for all of a second before realization dawned on him. He didn't need any more information than that, "Hai!"

"Take care of the ground team and leave everything else to me," Leaving Gohan on the ground, Goku jumped to the highest point in the ring he could find, which was an unnatural outcropping that had been formed by some unknown fight. Bringing his hands up above his head, he inhaled deeply once to collect her mind before shooting his energy outwards into the world of the void.

Closing his eyes, Goku whispered under his breath to the void, "I call upon all life—the clouds—," He narrowed his eyes as he searched everything in the void for life, "The insects—the bacteria—the air—the moisture," He shook as he began to pull the energy towards himself. "Everything that lives—lend me your power!" He opened his eyes as the energy began to rush towards him, materializing from seemingly thin air.

"Everybody listen up!" Gohan yelled back at the other z-fighters he had managed to collect: Master Roshi, Piccolo, Tien, Eighteen, and surprisingly even Seventeen. "Otou-san and I have a plan, but it's going to take all of us to do it, understand?"

"Yes!" They all replied, following the boy they had all watched grow into a man.

"Seventeen and Eighteen," Gohan pointed towards the androids, "Put as much energy into the Spirit Bomb as you can."

The infinitely powered androids both smiled at each other and the boy, "Easy enough." Eighteen smirked slightly and nudged her brother with her shoulder, "Right Seventeen?"

"I'd rather fight," He mumbled, but smiled at his sister nonetheless, "But I guess I can play along for now."

"If we get into too much trouble," Gohan directly his complete attention to Seventeen, "Please, interfere."

"Certainly." He agreed and, simultaneously, raised one hand with his sister, allowing his unending energy flow to go out into the world of void and the Spirit Bomb itself.

"Everyone else," Gohan turned back to the remaining members of his universe, "We're the distraction. Our job is to keep attacking her and not let her near Otou-san. We need to give him as much time to build that Spirit Bomb as possible. Use energy attacks as long as you can, don't get too close or she'll eliminate you easily. Remember, the goal is to keep her distracted, not eliminate her." Gohan could feel his Saiyan blood pumping in his ears, "I'm going to stay close to Otou-san and be the last wave of defense. Everybody else, charge her on my command!"

Dropping into fighting stances, building energy in their bodies, the z-fighters all responded, "Understood!"

"Ready?" Gohan twisted around and looked out at the ring. Sagie was currently distracted by lesser universes, but her power was far too extensive for any of them to so much as put a dent in her. She had already eliminated at least a dozen warriors, if not more. It was only a matter of time before she would notice the rapidly growing attack from Goku. And when she did, they were bum out of luck. "Go!"

Shooting outwards, energy attacks already built and ready to be fired, the z-fighters quickly surrounded the rampaging Sagie.

The first, astoundingly, to throw their attack was none other than Master Roshi. Having prepped the Kamehameha as he was running, the old master skidded to a halt the second he could see Sagie unobstructed by the ring. With one last deep gulp of air, he screamed the last announcement of the attack and launched it towards the woman.

Sagie's head turned towards the sound, her subconscious self still aware, and she snarled, bringing up her arms to catch the attack.

"Tri," Tien jumped up and above Master Roshi's attack, using Sagie's temporary distraction blocking the energy wave to form an attack of his own. "Beam," He made the triangle with his hands, the energy flowing in the middle of it as his three eyes watched her. "Ha!"

The Saiyan woman raised her head the second the attack was unleashed. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. The lack of iris and pupils made her look somehow demonic. Then, she opened her mouth. Energy formed out of nowhere, and she fired a blast back at Tien using the energy that had collected on only her tongue.

It was almost an awkward sight to watch, Sagie firing a blast from her mouth as she used her hands to block Master Roshi's Kamehameha wave.

Unable to withstand the amount of energy that Sagie could throw just from her mouth, Tien's arms shook violently in an attempt to hold on.

"Special Beam Cannon!" Piccolo yelled having gotten to Sagie's other side. The woman's whole body tensed as the attack went right for her. Her hands were occupied with Master Roshi's Kamehameha, and her mouth was still firing at Tien. There wasn't much of her body left to defend herself, at least that was what Piccolo had hoped.

Without making a sound, Sagie cut off the energy flow from her mouth. Tien's attack went right towards her, and she lifted her arms, actually changing the direction of Master Roshi's energy flow so that it collided with Tien's attack before it could hit her. An explosion followed the second the Kamehameha wave hit the Tri-beam wave, and Sagie used the smoke screen to flip her body around just in time to duck out of the way of Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon.

Piccolo didn't even have time to blink as he watched the Beam head straight for the now exposed Master Roshi.

High above them, Krillin screamed for Roshi to get out of the way, but the old man was drained by his attack and unable to move. Closing his eyes to resign himself to his fate, Roshi didn't see the second Seventeen appeared in front of him, forming a green barrier. The Special Beam Cannon hit the barrier head on but didn't even managed to make a crack in it.

"You okay," Seventeen asked as he watched the attack dissipate through the green shimmer. "Muten-Roshi?"

Opening his eyes, Roshi blinked a few times before nodding, "Well played, young man."

"I try," Seventeen dropped the barrier without another thought. "We need to regroup."

Landing a short distance away, Tien screamed at the top of his lungs, pulling his body apart into four. He would use an attack he hadn't even thought of in years. "I'll cover for you!"

Understanding exactly what Tien was up to and the actual purpose of the technique, Seventeen's expression turned into a faint smile of acknowledgement, "Do what you have to."

Now four people, Tien rushed forward towards the recovering Sagie. The woman was standing in a short crater, popping her neck. A few stupid fighters had attempted to attack her head on and were now sitting in the stands watching the massacre caused singlehandedly by Sagie.

"You two," Tien directed the other members of his body as he approached the crater and the insane woman within it, "Get behind her."

"Right!" The two split off, running full speed in opposite directions.

Tien and one of his other halves continued heading straight at her. She was now looking right at them both. Her eyebrows had narrowed dangerously, and her face was twisted into a sickening grimace that confused him in a way.

Her lips parted to form a word, but Tien couldn't hear what it was. After all, he had three eyes, not three ears, but something told him, she had said: don't.

Not stopping or heeding the warning, Tien formed his hands into a triangle once more. The clone still with him mimicked the motion. Even though he knew his energy was split amongst his four bodies, he didn't stop. The plan wouldn't let him.

"Tri—," Tien and the clone with him screamed just as the two other halves that had gotten behind Sagie appeared out of nowhere, latching onto her back.

Her eyes went wide for all of a second before they narrowed dangerously. With a roar, she shot an elbow backwards, slamming it into the first one so hard that Tien's energy immediately evacuated it, causing it to disintegrate and the energy to return to Tien.

"Beam," Tien screamed as he watched Sagie wrap her hands around the second clone's neck, yanking him up over her head from behind and slamming him into the ground. Spit flew from his mouth for a split second before he too dissolved. "Ha!"

Tien and his last remaining clone aimed their attacks right at her exposed back, but his speed was stilled halved, a fact he knew. Standing up straight within milliseconds, the woman's eyes flashed, a hint of a pupil formed in them, and for a second, Tien thought he saw acknowledgement in those eyes. What she was acknowledging he wasn't sure, but somehow, he thought it was pride.

Energy formed in both her hands, which she lifted up to direct right at Tien and his clone, and she fired without screaming or naming her attack. The red energy flew right towards Tien, shimmering and shinning so brightly it was beautiful in a way. And then, it hit him straight on. Tien felt his body fly backwards. His clone was completely destroyed; his clothes had caught on fire; Seventeen's voice filled the air.

"Got you," He mumbled and fell over the side of the ring.

Sagie roared, infuriated as Seventeen, Master Roshi, and Piccolo all hit her with their combined attacks right in the back. She had been so caught up in Tien that she hadn't noticed them get behind her. Without even swinging around, the woman threw her energy outwards, the very pressure of it making the energy beams dissipate in the air. Swinging around to face her three assailants, she glared with all the hatred in her heart.

Landing in the stands, Tien looked down at his feet humiliated, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Krillin grabbed his shoulder. "There's no shame in being eliminated when furthering the cause, right?"

Tien looked up at his friend and nodded once, "Right."

Ignoring the sentimentality of old friends, Quitela, God of Destruction of universe 4 growled as he watched the strange ball of energy grow in size above Goku. "Beerus," He threw himself to his feet shaking a fist, "What the hell is your fighter doing? What is that freaky thing?"

Iwan, the God of Destruction for universe one, shook his bushy body, "Energy—," He identified with a pleased smile that was hard to see through his copious amounts of hair, "Lovely energy."

"To believe a mortal would know a technique like that."

Excited by the very presence of the spirit bomb, Krillin pursed his lips, "He learned it from West Kai."

Eyes snapping opened, Awamo, the angel of universe one, blinked a few times, "He has trained under a kai?" She whispered and looked towards her younger brother, Whis.

Whis merely smiled faintly at his elder sister and nodded, "He has trained under many masters, including," He lifted his head towards Goku and the rapidly building Spirit Bomb, "Myself."

There was a hush that ran through the group of angels and gods, all of them staring at Whis as if some great secret had just been revealed to them. All eyes landed on Goku as Krillin jumped up from his seat and allowed some of his energy to flow from his palm.

"Go Goku!" He screamed as he allowed the energy to seep into the void and travel towards his friend.

Following his lead, Tien raised up his own hand, but stayed a bit more reserved, "You got this, Goku!"

Ignoring Krillin and Tien, the temporarily silent Beerus smirked faintly as he watched the z-fighters attack. "Whis," He glanced back at his angel guide who was smiling faintly to himself. "They're actually working together."

Tightening his grip on his staff, Whis nodded his head minutely and grinned, "Miracles happen every day, Beerus-sama."

Back on the tournament floor, Gohan watched the fight as he hoovered nearby his father, making sure no other universes took advantage of the man's current state. So far he had only had to fight off two morons, a magical girl and her friends. Most of the remaining universes seemed to realize that it was better to just stay the hell away from Sagie and allow Goku to take her out. They weren't dumb, after all.

"How much longer, Otou-san?" Gohan called behind him. Eighteen was still feeding energy into the ball, although Seventeen had stopped only after maybe thirty seconds. Still, the ball was gigantic, one of the biggest ones Gohan had ever seen his father make since Namek.

"There's not enough energy yet," Goku was almost out of breath. Handling this much power above your head was far harder than people realized, "I got to overload it or we're going to have a repeat of Frieza."

"How much energy do you need?" Gohan started to lift up a hand, only for his father to point blank stopped him.

"Don't you dare," Goku's voice was surprisingly harsh. "We're going to need your power later. Eighteen's enough for now."

Turning his attention back towards his father, Gohan saw the line of sweat that was dripping down the man's forehead to the bridge of his nose and then onto his lip where it flowed to his chin. Gohan could see something in the lines on his father's face that the sweat followed. Something he had never seen on his father's face that he could recall.

Tightening his hand into a fist, Gohan's stomach sank. He had seen this expression before, but it was a memory he didn't like to drag up.

Goku had looked this way when Gohan had refused to finish off Cell, and that terrified him.

Sagie shifted her weight into her heels as she was thrown back by the force of a hit from Seventeen. It wasn't that the hit was enough to hurt her; it was because she was holding back. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of her mind, a tiny voice, was pleading with her to stop and get control of herself. Before she could listen, however, another voice would take over. It would scream and rage in her psyche until she gritted her teeth and obeyed, fighting back against these people she knew.

It was a strange sensation: her mind being ripped apart—yanked in two different directions—two personalities vying for control.

Back-flipping out of the way of Master Roshi's Distructo Disc and ducking underneath a series of thousands of small, independent blasts from Seventeen and Piccolo, Sagie tried to think straight, but the voices in her head wouldn't let her.

_"Fight!"_

_"Friends!"_

_"Murder!"_

_"Stay back!"_

_"Hate!"_

_"Love!"_

_"Remember!"_

Sagie's eyes snapped opened. Her body stopped dead in her tracks. No matter how much she didn't want to, in that moment, she remembered.

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Earth_

Tripping over her feet as Vegeta yanked on the chain attacked to her neck, Sagie growled. Panicked eyes looked in every direction as they walked through a forest on Earth. Vegeta and herself had landed a few hours ago. The man had said something about landing very close to where the scooter said two Saiyan energy signatures lurked, but Sagie figured he had misread. There was no one around where they had landed except a very unfortunate farmer. Furious, Vegeta had slammed his fist into her temple. The blood had been nothing for her, however. She was far more concerned with where they had started walking to afterwards. Because of the collar around her neck, she was unable to fly, and as a result, the two were moving slowly, headed towards the one location in the entirety of the universe she wanted to avoid.

_I have to get this collar off_, she told herself as she followed behind Vegeta, stumbling over her own feet when he yanked her forward in an attempt to make her move faster.

Getting this collar off really was her only hope at this point. Trying to be inconspicuous, she reached up to touch the bottom of the collar. She had been trying for two days to get it off, but she had only had limited time. Vegeta had left her alone for a grand total of two hours, during which time she hadn't been able to break the mechanism. It was made of some kind of metal she had never encountered before, and it was insanely tough.

Her fingers slid over the point where the two sides of the collar interconnected by means of overlapping pieces brought together by screws. If she could loosen those screws even remotely, she would be able to yank the collar open. Yet, if the metal was considered tough, the screws were practically invincible.

Suddenly, Vegeta stopped dead in his tracks. Sagie followed suit, dropping her hands from the collar, so she could look at what had brought Vegeta to a halt mid-step. The sight that greeted her was the one thing she didn't want to see. With the collar on, she hadn't been able to sense them, but now that she was looking right at them, she recognized her children.

And so did Vegeta.

"No," She whispered as Vegeta took his first step towards the boys.

They were playing in a field. Kakarot, who at seven years old was much bigger than Sagie remembered, was rushing around his little brother. Bardock was laughing, the sound bubbly, as he tried to grab the older boy. His clothes, strange Earthian garb, were baggy. The navy top hung passed his mid-thigh and was closed by frog buttons. Orange equally baggy pants that were tight just around the ankles rested underneath it. The combination of that top and those pants made it impossible to tell if they were muscular or chubby.

"Gohan!" Bardock yelled and the intrusion of the human name broke her heart.

The boy was nearly two, maybe a little older. She was embarrassed to say she wasn't sure what his age was exactly. The tiny body of the Saiyan boy was wrapped in similar clothes to his brother but lacking the frog button in front. His was designed to pull over his head, a far easier set up for a little boy. But his clothes weren't what caught her off guard. It was his appearance. He looked identical to someone she knew well, and that shocked her more than anything.

"Come on, Goten," Kakarot called to his brother as he jumped into the air, hovering above the ground, "Keep up! You can do it."

Sagie's mind was drawn to sound of his voice, absolutely absorbed by the happiness that laced it. A happiness that was about to be destroyed.

Kakarot's face flushed abruptly. He dropped out of the sky, landing right in front of his brother who promptly ran into him.

"Nee-san?" The little boy whispered as Kakarot wrapped an arm around him, pulling his brother close.

The heart that had been hammering in Sagie's chest plummeted as she watched the child look around himself, sensing. Then, it turned to ice as the boy's eyes widened, and without further hesitation, his head snapped around, landing directly on Sagie and Vegeta.

"Kaka—," She tried to say his name, but Vegeta yanked her forward, throwing her off her feet.

Kakarot's grip on his little brother tightened, and his eyes went huge, "Who are you?" The voice was faint, absolutely pathetic and small.

The twin black eyes of a Saiyan looked over her, studying her and analyzing her with the same scrutiny she remembered him having as a toddler. He had always been analytical, introspective, and hypersensitive. It looked as if that hadn't changed.

Tensing, Kakarot followed the chain that led to the device around the woman's neck. He recognized it just as vaguely as he recognized her. A relic of his young infancy that horrified him. Slaves on Vegeta-sei wore similar devices, and the fact that it was around his biological mother's neck petrified him.

Hastily, he shoved his brother backwards, whispering something to him, but the younger boy was far too scared to obey whatever command his brother gave, "Goten!" He spoke loud enough for Sagie to hear as he shoved Bardock away, "Get Okaa-san, now!"

Sagie latched onto the word. She knew what it meant, and she knew it hadn't been directed at her. In a way, that broke her heart further, but in another, it sent her body surging with a sense of hope. There was only one person these boys would call mother except herself.

Taking a deep breath, unable to use her energy to sense with the collar on, Sagie did the next best thing, "Chichi!"

The cry echoed throughout the entirety of the forest and the valleys around them.

Within seconds, the woman herself appeared on the horizon, flying frantically in their direction. Whether it was Sagie's cry or her own ability to sense energies that had drawn her was up for debate, but there she was, rushing straight towards them. She landed between Sagie/Vegeta and the two Saiyan children, using her body as a shield.

"Who the hell are you?" Chichi snarled viciously towards Vegeta as she drew her hands into tight fist before her face.

Vegeta scoffed, finding the human woman pathetic.

Seeing an opening, Sagie rushed forward. She may have no energy or power, but she still had all the knowledge of battle years of fighting had given her. Sliding her hands underneath Vegeta's arms, she pulled him backwards, locking her hands behind his head in a full nelson. Vegeta snarled and tried to bring his hands up to grab onto her arms and flip her, but Sagie sank her weight down before he could. It wouldn't be a hold that could be maintained for longer than a few seconds, but it, hopefully, would be enough.

"Chichi!" Sagie screamed as she held onto Vegeta with all of her might. "Get the kids out of here." She nearly went up off her feet as she spoke. Vegeta was flailing, spinning around so fast that she should have gone flying. By sheer force of will, she kept herself planted.

Watching the other woman frantically hold on for dear life, Chichi looked surprisingly torn. Ripping her eyes off Sagie, she looked towards the two children she had raised for the past two years, formulating a plan in her head.

"Gohan," She commanded as she gathered energy in her body, sending a signal to her friends all around the world. "Take your brother and go to Master Roshi and Krillin's, hurry!"

Kakarot, trembling with fear, shook his head no, "I can't leave you, Okaa-san!"

Infuriated by the defiance, Chichi turned towards the boy and snarled, "You will listen to me!"

"But—."

"Now!"

Kakarot couldn't ignore the command any longer. Grabbing his brother, he launched himself upwards, using the ability of flight he remembered from his toddler years.

It was then that Vegeta dropped all his weight downwards. Unprepared and unable to use her energy to control the motion, Sagie felt her feet go up and off the ground. Vegeta's hands reached up, grabbing the back of her neck that was hidden between his shoulder blades, and flipped her straight over his head. Sagie went flying up and over him before her back slammed into the ground making a crater from the force of the impact. Spit flew from her mouth. Her eyes bugged out, and she lost the ability to breathe.

Above her, free, Vegeta straightened and threw himself upwards into the air. Watching as if the whole thing was in slow motion, Sagie felt paralyzed. Vegeta lifted one palm, energy forming in it that blinded Sagie on the ground as she struggled to stand. Unable to control her spasming muscles, Sagie's eyes tracked the potential trajectory of the blast and froze, horrified.

"Kakarot!" She screamed as she jumped to her feet, no longer feeling any pain. Above her, Vegeta released the blast.

"Gohan!" Chichi's voice followed it, drawing Sagie's attention towards the human woman she had left her children with two years before.

Chichi shot into the air, moving quicker than lighting in a chaotic storm, and shoved Kakarot and Bardock both out of the way. The two boys went flying just as Vegeta's attack went straight through the woman they called mother. It ripped her internal organs to shreds as it bounced through her body before tearing through her back. Beautiful black eyes became clouded by pain as the woman collapsed on the ground in front of the children, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"Okaa-san!" Kakarot's scream broke Sagie's heart completely.

The boy was at Chichi's side already, shaking her as his little brother stood up, helplessly grabbing the front of his clothes.

"Wake-up!" The tiny voice echoed all around. Two tiny hands shook the body, trying to get Chichi to sit up, to move, to talk. "Okaa-san," The tears fell from his eyes, dropping down two still pudgy, childish cheeks. He was a baby. "Okaa-san—wake up!"

"Okaa-san?" Bardock hiccupped too young to really understand what had happened.

The sound of his brother's voice must have been the trigger. Kakarot rose to his feet. The tears in his eyes disappeared. He gritted his teeth, revealing the fangs that marked him as not human but a Saiyan.

"You," He said the word with such malice that it permeated the entirety of the forest. "I'll kill you!"

The scream that ripped through his throat was followed by an insane burst in power. It covered his entire body in white energy. His spiky hair danced with it and his eyes narrowed with insane focus. Then, he shot forward, hands straight out in front of him. The energy grew and grew as he screamed before slaming right into Vegeta with all the power he had gained in his tiny body.

Vegeta only had time to widen his eyes for a split second before his eyes bugged out and the energy consumed him. Screaming as loud as possible, Kakarot hit Vegeta over and over, slamming his fist into anything he could reach.

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	7. Instinct

**Chapter 7:**

**Instinct**

Sagie's rage filled the entirety of the arena. The sound of the grief in her voice pressed down on all of them, eating them alive. Still in front of his father, Gohan had to bring his hands up in front of his face to protect his eyes from the magnitude of her power being flung outwards. Piccolo, Master Roshi, and Seventeen were sent hurtling away from her, unable to withstand the amazing amount of heat she was throwing outwards.

"Shit!" Goku cussed behind him as he watched their backup fly in all directions. It was only a matter of time before she went for him, "I need more time."

Gohan tensed prepared fully to defend his father, only to falter when he caught sight of a blue streak in his peripheral vision, "Vegeta-san?"

Coming out of nowhere, Vegeta rushed Sagie in his blue form. It had to be the Vegeta from their universe by the armor alone.

"Final," His voice echoed as he put his own body between Goku and the insanely powerful Saiyan female, "Flash!"

The attack went right for Sagie. Had another person in that moment attacked her, she could have properly just blown them back. Unfortunately for Vegeta, he was the wrong person who had chosen the wrong time to enter the wrong fray.

Eyes narrowing to the point of appearing almost closed, Sagie's energy exploded forth as she launched herself right at Vegeta. The Prince's eyes barely had time to widen before she hit him with every single ounce of power in her entire body. Vegeta went flying backwards, back breaking through multiple pillars of stone that were located along the tournament floor before he was able to right himself. Face stinging horrifically, Vegeta flipped his body over, aiming his feet backwards so they slammed into the ground instead of his body.

Still skidding backwards, he lifted his head up to see what was coming, only to find Sagie right in his face. Millions of punches hit him instantly, all of which he had almost no hope of blocking. She hit every single vital point of his body—liver, kidneys, nose, eyes, ears—before she aimed an uppercut right into his diaphragm. Unable to breath at all, Vegeta's eyes bugged out as she twisted around and sent a spinning hook kick right to the back of his exposed head.

Vegeta flew once more, but this time he didn't hit a wave of stone. Seventeen materialized behind him, throwing up a barrier around the both of them as Sagie shot towards them.

"She really hates you, doesn't she?" Seventeen muttered as he held his hands in front of him, keeping the barrier in place even as Sagie slammed her fist into it, cracking it.

Wiping blood from his face, Vegeta didn't give Seventeen the time of day, "Get out of my way," He flung Seventeen away from him. The barrier burst like a balloon, and Vegeta went right for her.

"Vegeta!" Goku's voice broke the tension of the ring, "Move!"

The sound of Goku's voice and the implication of his words actually made Vegeta listen. Slamming his feet into the ground, he flung himself backwards and out of the way of Goku's attack. Sagie started to follow him, but the pressure on the back of her neck made her stop. Twisting around, her eyes flashed, greyish pupils forming and red irises flickering for all of a second before the whiteness overtook her eyes once more.

The Spirit Bomb was headed right towards her.

Knowing Vegeta could wait, Sagie lifted one hand up, inhaled, and shoved her energy outwards. The force of its heat sent the Spirit Bomb straight backwards towards Goku in his blue form.

"Damn it," Goku growled. His eyes flickered to make sure Gohan had gotten out of the way adequately. The boy was standing a good distance away on an outcropping with Piccolo. He was safe enough.

Gritting his teeth, Goku pulled energy up from the well in his body as he kept his hands in front of himself, holding the Spirit Bomb in place. "Kai-o-ken!" He screamed and his blue aura was joined by the red of even more power. His muscles spasmed from the effort, but he was unbothered. He had spent all his time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber working on maintaining this form while Vegeta tried to fry him with his Final Flash.

Sagie's eyes flickered again as the Spirit Bomb was pushed towards her once more. Her mouth formed a word but it never left her lips. Swirling energy, bright red, formed all around her and she let loose a short yell that sent even more energy Goku's way.

Goku's arms shook violently as his body was actually pushed backwards. The outcropping of rock he had been standing on crumbled under the intensity of his own power, the Spirit Bomb, and the energy Sagie was sending towards him. His muscles formed knots, and the fear he had felt started to overtake him.

It was strange. The fear that flooded him. Fear, not for himself, but for—

Goku's hands wavered, the Spirit Bomb was flung backwards towards him, and he quickly corrected himself by screaming out, "Kai-o-ken times thirty!" More energy filled his body, making a headache burst into his brain.

Sagie threw even more power into her own body, and the Spirit Bomb went backwards towards him further. No matter what he did, she just kept throwing energy back at him. It was like she had an endless supply.

The fear in his heart doubled; his skin grew clammy and cold.

_What's wrong with me_, he thought as his resolve started to, surprisingly, weaken. _Why—why do I feel this way?_ The palms of his hands were starting to tingle, and his muscles were actually ripping in his arms from the effort it took to hold her off.

Sagie looked up at him sensing his weakening, and much to Goku's own shock, pupils were starting to form in her eyes. They were black and small and staring up at him, not with anger, but with pain. Undeniable and unbelievable pain was rushing through her. His skin prickled with it. The hair on his arms lifted. His heart skipped a beat, and Goku finally understood what he was feeling and why he was feeling it.

He was scared, not of her, but for her. Goku felt his heart sink so far in his body that his energy flickered with it.

"She's in," He whispered and no one but the Gods heard him. "Pain."

With a burst of even more energy, Sagie shot her power towards Goku, sending every last ounce she could spare at him. The Spirit Bomb was flung backwards towards it maker who could no longer support it.

_I have to_, the thought entered his mind as the Spirit Bomb came at his defenseless body, _protect them. All of them_.

The Spirit Bomb hit him full on. Goku's body screamed for him as the energy burned his skin. A sudden rush of something knew formed in him, something he had never thought possible in his life. An unnerving amount of power was welling within him the likes of which seemed impossible. And with it—came a thought that had always been present in him since he was a little boy.

_I will_, he gritted his teeth, _protect them._

Beerus jumped to his feet as the Spirit Bomb hit Goku full on and burst into a mass of light that filled the entirety of the void.

"Otou-san!" Gohan's scream, filled with absolute fear and heart-break, was even louder than the explosion that rocked the void.

"No," Beerus whispered and sank down into his seat.

"Goku!" Krillin nearly jumped into the arena, only to be stopped by Tien and the Supreme Kai. Still fighting them off, Krillin watched horrified as the ring came back into focus, revealing Sagie standing in a crater the size of the spirit bomb. His friend was nowhere in sight. "Goku!" Shoving the hands off of him, Krillin nearly succeed in freeing himself, but stopped struggling when Master Roshi appeared beside him.

The old man was in horrific shape, most likely having been caught up in the blast, "Master!" He refocused, Supreme Kai and Tien letting go of him as he knelt by his father figure, "Hold on!"

Unhindered by Krillin's shouting and Tien's pleading with their master to stay alive, Beerus stared with his jaw opened at the ring. Lightning was flashing all around, left over from the energy blast, and Sagie was standing in the middle of all of it completely unharmed. "It's—," He shook his head back and forth, "Not possible."

"It would appear," The Grand Priest spoke up, "That universe 4 has no more participants remaining."

Everyone's heads snapped upwards in disbelief as the Grand Priest carried on as normal.

"They will now be erased."

The rat God of Destruction for universe 4 didn't even have time to stand or gather his thoughts before the Zeno's raised up their tiny hands and gladly carried out their duty.

Shifting his head towards his now absent fellow God, Beerus tried to form Quitela's name on his lips, but the Grand Priest spoke again before he could.

"Master Roshi of universe 7 has also been eliminated," The Grand Priest continued on as the Zeno's happily tapped Master Roshi's face on the Godpad. "Additionally—."

Beerus tuned out the rest of the eliminations. The only one that mattered to him was Son Goku who hadn't appeared in the stands. His eyes searched the ring as did all the other gods and participants, but Goku was nowhere to be found.

It was the Grand Priest's voice that confirmed the deadly reality of their situation.

"Participant Son Goku seems to no longer be in the competition," The Grand Priest smiled softly as he spoke. "It appears that the Spirit Bomb completely vaporized his body."

Belmod jumped up at the news, "Sagie should be disqualified!" He cried out as he pointed one finger towards the woman.

Surprisingly, Sagie hadn't moved since the Spirit Bomb dissipated. A fact that no one seemed to be focused on. Her still vacant eyes were staring at the spot in the ring where Goku had disappeared completely. Her hands were fisted at her sides as she looked on, but not because of the clown God of Destruction Belmod.

"Sagie-san did not cause Son Goku's destruction," The Grand Priest explained almost casually. "He was vaporized by an attack he formed and executed himself. Therefore," His eyes opened, slitting as he smiled, "No penalty!"

"Damn it," Belmod fell into his chair and looked out at his own team.

The Pride Troopers hadn't done much throughout this competition so far. They had eliminated some participants, of course, but on Belmod and Toppo's orders had held back not drawing any attention to themselves. It was the safest strategy they could come up with. But Sagie was a wildcard they hadn't expected. They had been aware of Son Goku and his power, but Sagie's power was unbelievable and incredibly dangerous.

_Whether you want to or not, Toppo, you will have to make a decision soon,_ Belmod thought as he looked towards the leader of the Pride Troopers, eyes hard. The man was standing nearly dumbstruck at Sagie, who merely continued to watch the ground.

Far to Belmod's right, standing with his hands in tight fists at his sides, Beerus felt his confidence wavering, "Son Goku," He whispered the name, his hopes slowly being dashed with each syllable of it, "Damn you!" He growled under his breath. "How could you do something so foolish?"

Just in front of them, Master Roshi sat up having been healed by a Senzo Bean. Cradled still by Krillin and Tien, the old man looked out across the ring, "Goku?"

Krillin held back his pain the best he could, but it was still present in his voice when he spoke, "I'm afraid—he's—."

A strange stillness suddenly went through the void that no one, not even the gods could explain. Sagie's back straightened. Her movement catching everyone's eye. She spread her feet a bit wider, digging her heels into the ground, and then—the void began to tremble.

It started with a few rocks jumping up and down, but it was soon followed by the whole arena and the spectators stands.

"Gohan!" Piccolo called out as he looked at the younger man.

For his part, Gohan had to keep his composure as the energy began to seep into his brain. This was the first energy he had ever sensed in his life, and he knew it better than he knew his own, "I feel it too."

Up in the stands, smile playing across his face, Whis glanced towards his elder sister. As if aware of the same exact thing as her brother, Vados looked back at him out of the corner of her eye. They both knew exactly what was about to happen. They couldn't have planned it better.

Turning his attention back towards his God of Destruction, Whis smirked, "Beerus-sama."

The cat God tightened his jaw and closed his eyes.

"Do you have something to say?"

Holding back a laugh as hope returned to his soul once more, Beerus opened his eyes, "He's coming."

A beam of light exploded from the center of the crater, shooting upwards until it filled the entirety of the void. The pureness of it warmed the souls of every person in the ring whether they realized what they were feeling or not. Sagie scooted backwards as her heart went wild in her chest. She didn't quite understand the emotion that was going through her, but she recognized it completely—trepidation.

Staring into the center of that energy, Sagie watched as Son Goku seemed to materialize out of thin air. His body was hunched forward, as if weighted down by something impossibly heavy. The top layer of his gi was gone, revealing the navy undershirt underneath. Pulling himself upwards, Goku's head snapped back as the energy flowed all around him. Then, his eyes opened, white as her own. It took a second before he blinked again, and when his eyes opened a second time pupils and an iris had formed.

The energy around him rushed towards him as his eyes opened again. The wide beam of light narrowed, seeming to swallow him, until it finally became small enough of a beam that it simply winked out of existence, leaving Goku standing in the middle of it. A strange aura, kind of transparent in a way shimmered all around him.

All the hair on the back of Sagie's neck stood on end from the sight. Unexpectantly, she leapt upwards and backwards, landing on the side of the crater. Her own greyish, reddish hair seemed to dance with her energy as she pushed it outwards away from her body. The reddish-whitish energy pulsed as it seemed to envelope her protectively.

Below her, Goku looked down at one hand and then the other before raising up his head. He could see her through the wave of bluish, white energy that was blocking his vision slightly, and his body was drawn to her. His nearly blank mind acknowledging that he was here because of her and she was here because of him.

_"Fight." _

Goku heard the voice and felt the pulse of this new power simultaneously. Without hesitation, he lifted one foot, finding it hard to control, and planted it on the ground in front of him. Instantly, he found himself hovering above Sagie, who barely managed to duck out of the way.

The world stilled. Time seemed to stop as everyone slowly followed his motions.

And then—Goku let the power overflow.

Throwing his feet over his head faster than he had ever moved in his life, Goku spun around in a circle and threw a punch right for Sagie's head. The woman didn't even bother to catch or block but threw her own punch, connecting instantly with Goku's. The shock wave of their energy making contact created a visible wave of air that flew outwards across the entire ring.

Leaping backwards, Goku found himself back in the crater before his mind even registered that he had moved. Feet skidding backwards, he looked up at Sagie who had followed him emotionlessly and brought his hands up to block. Her punches and kicks didn't have a prayer of making contact as he easily followed her every movement.

Unfeeling, Sagie did a backflip, using only one hand to propel herself over her head while the other collected energy. She threw the blast towards Goku who brought up a single hand to flick it away from himself like it was a gnat before appearing in front of her. His own assault kicked in, and Sagie, just as he had, blocked every hit without needing to think.

Off to the side, well-hidden and now completely healed by the Piccolo of universe 6, Bardock stood beside his brother in disbelief, "Is this for real?" He whispered as he watched Sagie block a punch before returning a kick to Goku's head that was blocked and countered so fast Bardock wasn't sure what the technique had been.

"This power," Kakarot followed the movements the best he could, but they were moving much too fast for his mind to even comprehend it. "These movements—they're insane."

Bardock nodded helplessly, "His—," He glanced towards his elder brother, "Or hers?"

"Both."

Up in the stands, Beerus stared open mouthed as did the majority of the Gods of Destruction. This fight was beyond anything they had ever seen from a mortal. The movements were nearly too much for them to keep up with, and that should have been downright impossible from mere, insignificant insects!

"This isn't normal!" Master Roshi yelled out. Krillin and Tien both gulped in agreement, horrified.

"What happened to Goku?" Krillin whispered as he tried to track the man's movements. He thought he saw a spinning back kick actually make contact with Sagie's stomach, but before his brain could process it, she had thrown a punch towards Goku's face that was blocked by the man's forearm—at least—he thought. It was kind of hard to tell.

Whis leaned forward as he studied the motions of both fighters.

A little-ways down, Vados was doing the same thing. Now that Sagie had a true challenge it was easier to figure out what was going on with her as well. And the answer that was forming in her head was exactly the answer she wanted.

"What's happening?" The Zeno of this timeline cried out.

"Why's it happening?" The Future Zeno added.

In front of them, the Grand Priest felt his stomach flipflop in a pleasant way, "Could it be—?"

Sitting in the stands, the Grand Priest's middle son shot to his feet much to the surprise of the gods, mortals, and other angels around him. "Something absolutely wonderful is happening to Goku-san, Beerus-sama!"

"You don't think!" Anat stood up, eyes wide and horrified.

"It can't be—!" Champa was on his feet, nearly sailing into the ring as he too put it all together.

Jaw clenching, Beerus finally managed to form the words, "Ultra Instinct."

The spectator stands went frightfully silent as a dozen faces turned slowly towards the fight.

"What's Ultra Instinct?" Shin asked the Elder Supreme Kai next to him.

Crossing his arms over his chest, the Elder laughed, "You don't even know about Ultra Instinct. What an amateur!"

Embarrassed, Shin ducked down, but Whis answered anyway, "Ultra Instinct is a state in which your body moves completely on instinct instead of using the analytics normally associated with fighting." He spoke calmly, eyes following the fight, "It is hard even for the gods to achieve—let alone a mortal."

Goku and Sagie were exchanging punches at a rate that even some of the Gods of Destruction were having trouble tracking, and they all knew why.

"And here we have two damn mortals doing it?" Belmod snarled as he grabbed at his clown like hair, nearly ripping it out.

"No," Whis quickly cut in. "Goku-san is using a version of Ultra Instinct, but Sagie-san is using something different—more like a God of Destruction."

Belmod whirled on Whis, eyes filled with fury. "How can two mortals have so much power?"

Vados shifted in her seat, eyes flickering, "Sagie-san has always been very capable," She explained carefully. "I trained her myself, but she has never been exposed to full God of Destruction power. This—this is almost natural, I dare say."

"Natural?" Champa laughed, "See that Beerus—my mortal is going to kick your mortal's ass no matter what."

Turning on his brother instantly, Beerus snarled, "Not likely, fatso!"

Leaning forward, ignoring the shouting match, Whis studied Goku's moves with knowledgeable eyes. With each clash, electricity flew from Goku and Sagie's bodies. It turned into lightning that hit the ring, cracking the rock with such clean cuts that the energy seemed more like a knife than a blast.

The power coming from both of them was impressive, but it was taking its toll. Sagie who had been in the state far longer than Goku was starting to slow down. Her reaction time was greatly dismissed as a result of the nearly five minutes she had maintained the impossible form. For her to hold it longer would most likely do irreversible damage. Yet, even as he watched Goku actually make contact with one of his punches, landing it on her face, Whis felt himself wondering about something far more important to him. Something far more important to the universes.

"The trigger for Goku-san was the Spirit Bomb," He spoke up, several people turning to look at him as he explained. "When it hit him, Goku-san was able to break through the shell that has been containing this power within him. In other words," His eyes followed Goku sinking a kick into Sagie's ribs; her power was failing her. "When the Spirit Bomb hit him, he broke through his body's own mortal limits in order to survive."

"That doesn't explain what triggered Sagie," Vados whispered, her voice frightfully low as Sagie went crashing backwards, slamming into the crater that had been formed by Son Goku's Spirit Bomb. The power that had encompassed her was gone. The red energy that had made her hair stand on end and flicker various colors had vanished.

Feeling his sister's suspicion and worries, Whis nodded in agreement, "No—," He bit the inside of his cheek without anyone realizing it. "It doesn't."

The two glanced at each other anxiously, and then looked up at their father. The Grand Priest was staring at Sagie's prone body. And, even though no mortal or god would ever have noticed, the two angels could see the faint outline of worry on his face as well.

Sagie laid on the gravel of the ring, having no idea where she was or what had happened. Her body felt like it was on fire and her energy felt like it was non-existent. Trying to breathe, she gasped as her lungs burned from the attempt. She wasn't even able to think of a curse word for the feeling inside of her. Everything was inflamed. Every muscle was spasming. Every nerve was shooting pain through her that was electrifying.

Closing her eyes against it, she tried to force herself into a half sitting position, but she couldn't manage it. Her body wouldn't let her move. Falling back, she opened her eyes just long enough to see Son Goku standing on the edge of the crater. He was looking down at her with eyes that seemed to see and not see all at once. Fear overtook her heart that she didn't understand, and she tried to sit up again.

Her body screamed in response, and she sank back into the ground without taking her eye off of the man above her.

_This is it_, she thought as Son Goku's body tensed in preparation to move.

Before he could even take a step, however, two roars ripped through the void making Sagie's eyes snap open.

"Who?" She whispered just as Bardock and Kakarot appeared; both boys aiming for Son Goku's head.

Of course, Son Goku blocked the moves effortlessly, catching Bardock's fist with his right hand and Kakarot's foot in his left. Holding both for a scant second, he didn't even take his eyes off Sagie as he spun the two around, sending them flying. Both boys landed safely a few hundred yards away, which was odd. At least, Sagie thought it was. It was almost like Son Goku had no intention of hurting them. If he had, Sagie was certain, both boys would be unconscious or worse right now. They weren't strong enough to take on something like this.

Finding inner strength compelled by maternal instinct, Sagie pushed herself up with a groan. "Don't—hurt—th-e-m," She spoke around the pain that ripped through her jaw.

Out of nowhere, the Vegeta of her universe threw himself at Son Goku. His golden aura sparkled as he made contact with Son Goku's arm. This time the man hadn't been able to do a full catch. Instantly, Bardock and Kakarot joined him, throwing their own hits, a punch to the face that was blocked and a kick to the stomach that Son Goku simply took. He didn't even move from Kakarot's well aimed side kick, but his eyes did look straight up at the boy.

"I don't want to hurt you," He whispered and then moving faster than the three men could keep up with, attacked.

Bardock went flying with a punch across the face. Kakarot went backwards, feet over head, from a front kick to his chin, and Vegeta went down last with an upper cut aimed right to his stomach that made him fall forward unable to breathe. Still, as the most experienced fighter, Vegeta recovered in seconds, twisting around to try to aim an attack at Son Goku once more.

Surprisingly, Vegeta's round house kick, this time, nearly made contact. A flicker of realization crossed Vegeta's face, and encouraged, he continued to throw attack after attack. Soon enough Bardock and Kakarot joined him, the three pushing Son Goku back much to the shock of all the spectators.

That is—until Son Goku's hair and eyes flickered. Both turning black once more before going grey again. Gritting his teeth, trying to keep up with the men, Goku felt the power seeping away from him. The well in his stomach he had opened was closing off, becoming sealed once more.

_Damn it_, he thought as the first true hit made contact.

Vegeta's fist hit him directly in the face as Ultra Instinct slipped away from Goku completely. Kakarot followed the hit with an axe kick of his own to Goku's now exposed shoulder.

Goku's body flew downwards from the hit, slamming into the ground just as Bardock fired a Kamehameha right at him from above the other two Saiyan males.

Materializing just above his father, Gohan fired one back of his own. Knowing better than to struggle and waste precious energy, Bardock quickly broke off his own attack and dropped downwards, landing by his brother. Both pure Saiyan's sank into fighting stances, staring at the men who looked like them.

Slipping into a stance of his own, one hand opened in front of him and the other chambered at his hip, Gohan sank a bit lower, allowing his heel to slid backwards a bit to widen the stance, "Back off!" He yelled towards the boys from another universe, "Your mother's hurt," He tried to reason as he stood protectively in front of his unconscious father. "So is my father—," He sensed the energies of a dozen other fighters who were, like vultures, starting towards Goku and Sagie's prone bodies. "They need us or they're going to be eliminated!"

Looking down at the man who looked just like him, Kakarot felt his throat tighten even as he agreed, "This is a truce for now!" He screamed as he jumped towards his mother who was already nearly surrounded, grabbed her, and quickly disappeared with Bardock in tow. The Vegeta of the other universe eyed Gohan for a second before going in the opposite direction. He knew where he was needed and where he wasn't wanted.

"Thank Kami-sama," Gohan growled as he too grabbed his father and hurried out of the way, the remaining members of universe 7 jumping in to give him an easy getaway.

Hovering on his small stand up above everyone else, the Grand Priest smiled down at the strange scene. Time was moving rapidly and his plan was already falling into perfect place. Glancing towards his children, lining the stands as they were, he took a second to focus on Whis and Vados in particular. The two angels were hyper focused on their perspective candidates, watching with worried expressions mounting on their faces. He couldn't blame them. Sagie had just thrown a wrench into the entirety of everything. Only time would tell if it could be fixed.

Sighing, the Grand Priest looked towards the pole in the center of the ring as it sunk down a bit further, "Fifty takks remaining!"

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Earth_

Kakarot continued hitting Vegeta so fast the much more experienced and older fighter couldn't actually keep up. A punch slammed into Vegeta's face, sending his body skidding backwards, but it didn't take him off his feet. Seeing the distance between himself and his opponent, Kakarot opened his mouth, moving on instinct driven by rage. The energy blast flew from his mouth so large and overpowered that Vegeta had no hope of getting out of the way in time.

Pushing herself back to her feet, Sagie stared in wonder as her son released the attack, sending it into a hopeless Vegeta. The man's scream ripped through the air as he was thrown off his feet despite his attempt to block. Dirt and trees, unfortunate animals as well, were ripped from their places on the ground. A nearby mountain crumbled as Vegeta and the blast hit it square on, and then out of energy, Kakarot closed his mouth, the power evaporated into nothing, revealing significantly scarred Earth left in its wake.

Sagie followed the debris path with just her eyes, horrified by the sight of it. Far off, she could see Vegeta already pushing himself out of the rubble. His chest plate was nearly destroyed, the pieces that went over the shoulders were gone, and the chest part itself was cracked all the way to his waist. The tight undergarment was completely missing in places and the protective plates that covered his legs were almost all gone.

"Shit." She whispered just as Kakarot seemed to come back to himself.

"What?" The boy was standing and staring at the spot of destruction with confused eyes. "What happened?"

Sagie's eyes widened and she froze, "He doesn't—."

"Gohan-nee-san!" Bardock wailed and ran on chubby legs towards the older boy. Latching onto his brother's side, he cried into Gohan's navy top. Moving mechanically, Kakarot draped an arm around his brother's shoulders, pulling him close looking at him. The boy was looking at Vegeta who had finally stood up.

The older man was furious. His whole face formed a look so odious that it made Sagie's back tingle in a familiar sort of way. On instinct, she brought her energy to the surface, but the collar around her neck responded automatically. The shock ran down her whole body, but she didn't scream, she pushed forward. Throwing her energy into her feet even as the shockwave ripped through her body, she shot between Vegeta and her sons.

"Help!" Kakarot called to her, but she merely held up a hand to silent him without turning to look at him.

Clinging to his older brother Bardock stared at her, petrified, "Who that?"

Kakarot hesitated, and it was clear that he wasn't a hundred percent sure, "Ma?"

"Huh?"

Sagie forced herself to tune out that conversation. She would deal with the pain it brought her later.

Vegeta was walking towards her; body poised as he walked so nonchalantly that it looked downright strange. His muscles were tense. His expression was downright vicious, but he was walking forward as if he were making his way down a road and not towards someone he wanted to kill.

The collar around Sagie's neck was on fire. She could clearly smell it burning her skin, but she didn't lower her energy. There was no way in hell she would back down from this fight. Suddenly, Vegeta lifted himself into the air and rushed her with a roar. Knowing she had to get as far away from her boys as possible, Sagie followed. Shooting forward, the collar around her throat making the skin around her neck turn to nothing more than charcoal, she aimed a punch towards Vegeta's face as he aimed one for her own.

The two fist connected for a fraction of a second before the two moved to throw every part of their body at the other. Fists blurred into a whirl of motion. Feet lifted off the ground so fast that they made contact with their opponent before the dust they lifted could fall back to the ground. Sagie screamed in a combination of horrific pain and rage, complete and utter. Her body was on fire, literally. She could smell the smoke of it as the collar around her neck activated every time she used even the barest amount of energy to move.

It was that fact that gave Vegeta, for the first time, an advantage over her.

Unable to keep up with the pace of the fight, Sagie couldn't dodge or block his neck punch to her face. It hit her square in her jaw. Her head was snapped to the right, the force of the hit making her shoulders follow. Thinking quickly, she allowed her body to continue moving with the hit, lifting her back foot up off the ground as she spun. And, using all that momentum, she completed the circle Vegeta had sent her in, turning so she could throw a spinning hook kick right into his side.

Spit flew onto her face before Vegeta kart wheeled away from her, using the momentum of the kick to get as far away as he could. Landing on his feet, he glared at her, hand brushing against a new break in his armor.

The collar around her neck sparked, sending electricity throughout her body, but she didn't flinch or even give the remotest of clues that she was being fried alive. Sinking back into a fighting stance, prepared to start another round, Sagie paused as an energy level touched the back of her head unexpectantly. She recognized it but was unable to read it clearly at the moment. The collar was blocking her ability too.

Not feeling the energy, only seeing her pause, Vegeta straightened and smirked, "You've gotten slower Sagie."

Spitting to her side, Sagie glared at the man, "Did you forget I have an Energy Collar on?"

"Splitting hairs," Vegeta replied, fully prepared to fly at her once more.

The energy flickered at the back of Sagie's head once more, and this time she knew exactly who it was, "Fuck!" She snapped her head upwards towards the sky, flashbacks of two years before making her sick to her stomach. Part of her shouldn't have been surprised. It was, after all, a move right up Frieza's alley.

High above the Earth was Frieza's spaceship. Adrenaline rushed through Sagie's bloodstream.

"Fool!"

Sagie heard the words, but that was the only part of her body that worked fast enough. Twisting back towards Vegeta, her eyes went wide as the man aimed an energy blast towards her children. Feet sliding out from under her as she tried to rush him, the world went into slow motion for Sagie. Regaining her balance, she shoved her feet into the ground, flying towards Vegeta far too slow to stop the inevitable. Her body seemed heavier than normal. The collar felt more explosive around her neck as it sent shock wave after shock wave through her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could barely see the tiny pieces of lightning that flew from it into her body.

Helpless to reach Vegeta in time, Sagie turned towards Kakarot instead as the blast flew from the Saiyan male's hand. But, a moments distraction in a fight is all the time your opponent needs to win.

Seeing the energy blast coming towards him and knowing his mother couldn't reach them with the collar on, Kakarot did the only logical thing. Yanking his brother away from him, ignoring his tiny shriek, Kakarot threw the boy as far away from him as he could. The blast hit him straight on; the sound of his scream of pain and Bardock's heartbreaking howl made every part of Sagie's soul explode.

The energy dissipated falling away as Vegeta's laugh broke into the air. Laying on the ground, small and smoking, Kakarot was face down, unmoving.

"One down," Vegeta spoke as his laugh went through the air, echoing off the remainder of the trees around the field they were standing in.

Staring, unable to take her eyes off the body of her son, Sagie felt her hands shaking. Her entire body was trembling with a sadness she didn't think possible. Her heart wasn't just breaking. It was cracking, splintering violently. Images of that boy rushed within her. She could see her pregnant belly, see the tiny face of a newborn in a gestation tank, see his first baby steps once he was released, see his first fighting stance, his first energy blast, his first fight, his first bruises and wounds, his first victories, and his first defeats.

And she heard one word—one word that only Kakarot had ever used: Ma.

The howl that left Sagie's throat curdled Vegeta's blood. Reaching up for her neck, Sagie grabbed the collar with her bare hands. Energy welled up in her that was more electrifying than the collar itself. And in one swift motion, she ripped the collar in half as she yanked it off her neck and threw it into the air.

She felt her entire body light on fire. An anger she had never felt in her life consumed her soul to the point of making it ache. She felt Vegeta react to her motions, and she didn't hold back. Pivoting on her heel, seconds before the collar even hit the ground, Sagie shot forward.

The battle cry that left her throat had to be loud enough for even Frieza in the sky to hear. The energy in her stomach rushed up into her back, and Vegeta saw the flicker of gold shimmer in her hair before her fist connected with his face. Vegeta didn't have time to react to the first hit before Sagie hit him again and again and again, roaring violently as her punches connected with his face, stomach, ears, throat, and neck. Blood spilled from his mouth as a tooth was dislodged, but Sagie ignored the splatter on her face, continuing to hit anywhere her punches could.

Then, rearing back, eyes flickering blue to black, blue to black, she threw a punch so hard into his forehead, that his skull cracked from the impact. The man went flying backwards. Vegeta's head made contact with a nearby mountain, hitting it and breaking it in two. Not even bothering to watch as he disappeared in the rubble and smoke, Sagie prepared to rush towards him once more despite the fact he wasn't moving.

"Okaa-san!" Bardock screamed; the sound just barely registering in Sagie's head.

The gold flickered through her hair, making it spike up for a split second before it faded, going black once more. Her hands shook from the strange surges of energy that were overtaking her body off and on, giving her power she had never imagined possible.

"Okaa-san!" The scream was more frantic this time.

Twisting around, the first thing Sagie saw was Bardock, clutching onto his brother's unconscious—possibly dead—body as he knelt on the ground. The second thing she saw was a ball of energy forming high above her in the sky. And suddenly, everything made sense. Frieza had sent Vegeta and herself here not for him to merely kill her children in front of her, but so they were in the same spot. He had sent them here, so he could take out four Saiyans and millions of humans all at once.

Eyes landing on her two children, not knowing if both were alive, Sagie twisted around and looked at Vegeta's crumbled body. He was alive, but unconscious. Snapping her head back up, she looked at Frieza's building attack—she had maybe a minute or two before it was big enough to throw and after that she had maybe thirty to forty seconds before it connected with the planet.

The sound of blood gurgling up someone's throat to the right stopped that train of thought. Turning towards the body of Chichi, Sagie felt her heart drop in horror and relief all at once. The woman coughed. Blood splattered the ground from the action. Chichi was alive.

Her decision was easy to make.

Racing towards Chichi, Sagie grabbed the woman around the middle, wishing she could be gentler but knowing she couldn't, and twisted around towards her children. Hastily, she scooped up the still sobbing, petrified Bardock and the body of his elder brother in the other hand. Abandoning Vegeta's unconscious body, she took off into the air, repeating her movements from two years ago.

Moving faster than she had ever moved in her life, her hair still flickering gold and her eyes still fading to blue before changing back to black, she made it to the space ship her and Vegeta had landed in. It was one of the smaller ones, not a pod, but a ship that could be compared to that of a round version of an Earthian car or the flying saucers in Earthian legends. Vegeta had left it opened when they landed, thank the gods, and therefore, all Sagie had to do when she reached it was sit.

Throwing Chichi into one of the four seats, Sagie didn't stop moving, securing the woman's lap belt with one hand. She didn't bother to listen to Bardock's caterwauling as she quickly put him in a seat and strapped a seatbelt on him before doing the same with Kakarot. Both boys secure, she took only the barest of moments to glance up at the blast. It had dissipated slightly in size, and much to her unending surprise, the reason was a small collection of people who were attacking the dictator. She could just read their helpless energy signatures.

Having no idea that these people were Chichi's friends and that one of them had even helped when she had first landed on the planet, Sagie looked back at the control panel of the space ship, ignoring them while silently thanking them. They would distract Frieza just long enough for this ship to get away.

Typing in coordinates she barely remembered with one hand and fastening her seatbelt with the other, Sagie practically slammed her fist down on the control panel's launch button. Immediately, the ship flew upwards, closing the hatch at the same time. It turned 180 degrees in the air, Bardock let out a bloodcurdling scream, and the space ship launched into outer space, heading in the exact opposite direction from Frieza.

Holding onto her seat, using sheer willpower, Sagie gritted her teeth. For the first time in her life, she was really beginning to hate herself.

** Please Review**


	8. Parents

**Chapter 8:**

**Parents and Children**

Goku felt consciousness seep into him, but it was a very slow process. He could hear the sounds of fighting: an explosion, a blood-curdling scream, followed by some kind of landslide, maybe. Gingerly, he tried to move just a finger of his left hand, but he found the finger didn't want to obey. Every muscle in his body was quaking and pulsating from over use.

"Otou-san?"

Gohan's voice brought him a little more into wakefulness.

"His energy's nearly completely drained." Piccolo's voice actually made Goku's eyes open.

Looking at the Namekian, eyes half-lidded and filled with pure exhaustion, Goku face cracked a smile, "That's," Forming the words took more effort than it should have, "An understatement."

Gohan's smiling face greeted him immediately. The boy looked relieved, just as he had the other hundreds of times he had been by his father's side when the man regained consciousness. Reaching down to help his father up, Gohan pulled the man by the shoulders, slipping one hand behind his back briefly. Then, gingerly, he guided the man towards a rock, helping him lean against it so he could sit up.

"How are you feeling," He mumbled as he leaned back on his haunches, "Otou-san?"

Goku laughed slightly in response to the question before coughing, "To be honest," He cleared his throat and leaned his head back on the rock, "Not too good."

"You don't look good either, Son," Piccolo muttered with a relatively pleasant look on his face.

Shaking his head, Goku surveyed their surroundings. A few skirmishes were taking place not too far from them, but he could tell they had found a safe spot for him to recover. Licking his lips, he reached up a hand and gave Gohan's shoulder a gentle squeeze, saying thank you without words. And, then, he dropped the hand, planting it on the ground to push himself up.

"You two need to get back in the fight," Goku muttered and, using sheer will-power, got to his knees. He was shaky for all of a moment, but the shakiness left as soon as he pushed himself to his feet, reaching his full height once more.

"Otou-san," Gohan gently protested as he ran his eyes over his father's battered body. There was no way he could fight off anyone in the state he was in. "We should stay together, so Piccolo-san and I can protect you if need be."

Shaking his head, Goku sent his son a cocky-lopsided grin, "Come on, Gohan," He reached around his son and placed his hand on the younger man's back, pushing him towards Piccolo, "I'll be fine resting here. Just keep the stronger guys away from me for a while, huh?"

"But—."

"No buts," Goku cut him off and glanced towards Piccolo. "There's not enough time for you to play body guard." He jutted his chin towards the giant pillar in the middle of the ring. It was almost half way down.

"Your father's right," Piccolo agreed even though his eyes did narrow. "There are several universes with more fighters remaining than ours." Turning away from Goku, Piccolo started walking away. "We need to rectify that quickly, come on."

Knowing that both men were being logical, Gohan sighed, eyes still on his father who smiled gently.

"Don't worry about me," He told the boy and, unable to stop himself, placed a hand on top of Gohan's head. His son was taller than him now, but he still felt that same protective instinct come over him when he looked at the man, "That's my job."

"To worry about yourself?" Gohan muttered as he allowed his father to rub his head for a second.

"No," Goku laughed and pulled his hand away. "To worry about you." He punched Gohan lightly in the shoulder. "I'm an adult. I don't need anyone to worry about me," He paused and crossed his arms over his chest in thought for a moment, "Except maybe your mother—but I can't control her."

Looking down for a second, smiling at the thought of his mother's rather odd ability to keep the strongest man he had ever known in line, Gohan lifted up his head, looking his father in the eye. "I'm an adult too, you know. By your logic, you shouldn't be worrying about me either, Otou-san." He tried to argue one last time even though he knew, truthfully, Goku had won.

"Man," Goku placed his hand on the back of his head, rubbing, "That makes me feel old! Seems like just yesterday you were a baby, and Chichi was teaching me how to hold you."

"You are old," Piccolo called from his place waiting some ten feet away. "Come on Gohan—we've got people to fight."

Nodding, Gohan started to turn around to join Piccolo, but hesitated. "Otou-san—."

"Go, I'll be fine," Goku encouraged one last time, and this time Gohan listened.

Watching the boy follow Piccolo back into the fights, Goku sighed and sank back down to the ground. It had taken everything he had inside of him to stay standing that long, but he didn't want Gohan to worry. If he was being honest, he probably did need protection until he got some energy back. The well in his stomach was nearly dry. He hadn't felt this power-challenged in years, not since his fight with Captain Ginyu. Back then, after the body exchange and everything, he had felt near dead. Well, to be fair, he had been half dead after that fight.

And here he was again. Powerless—helpless. It was eerie to feel so vulnerable.

Yet, at the same time, it was kind of nice. The thrill of the challenge rushed through his body, and that bit of adrenaline awakened something inside of him that generally remained dormant.

The Saiyan…the part of him that was absolutely, pure instinct.

Closing his eyes, Goku allowed that part of himself to come back to the surface of his body. The desire for battle. The lust that followed it and made his fingers twitch with desire. Briefly, he wondered if every Saiyan felt this way when the danger of death was near, if they felt almost aroused by it like some masochistic, messed-up, battle-hungry maniac.

It was sick—he knew it was. Any human would say so.

But ever since he had learned he was a Saiyan, he had wondered if Saiyans thought it was normal. Somehow, he knew they did. He knew Vegeta felt it, reveled in it, and that Gohan felt it to a degree, but his human blood diluted it a bit.

Opening his eyes, Goku's mind turned to the female Saiyan he had just met today. Unhindered, he wondered if she felt it too. Did she get the same sick, immoral pleasure out of nearly dying? Did she get goose bumps from the very thought of someone powerful beating the shit out of her? Did it make every hair on her body stand on end? Did it make her fill with lust for blood, sweat, and power?

Somehow—he knew it did. That same sense of knowing that had haunted him all his life told him that she felt the same exact way he did about it all.

-break-

On the exact opposite side of the ring, Sagie's eyes opened slowly as she became aware of her own body once more. Every muscle was on fire, sending a horrific feeling throughout her that made her sick, but in a good way. Closing her eyes once more, Sagie allowed the sensation of her energy teasing her muscles to warm her. The power she had possessed, however briefly it had been, was still tingling in the farthest regions of her muscle fibers, and the residual sensation made the hairs on her body stand on end.

"Ma?"

Blinking, Sagie turned her head to the side and looked into Kakarot's worried face. The boy was leaning over her, his younger brother was standing just behind him, but his back was turned. He must have been keeping an eye on the situation around them.

"Kak—a-rot," She muttered and raised up a shaking hand to touch the boy's cheek. "Wie geht's?"

"Gut," He answered and brought his hand up to cover the one his mother had placed on his cheek. "Wie gehst du?"

Sagie sent him a strained smile and glanced down at her body, noticing that she was wearing one of the boy's tops. Cocking her head to the side, she looked back at Kakarot once more. He was no longer wearing the navy Chinese uniform Chichi had given him, but instead had on only the sleeveless under garment that was no more than a weighted navy-blue shirt similar to the one Son Goku wore.

"Your—um," Kakarot blushed a bit as he realized what his mother was so focused on, "Clothes," He decided on as he lifted his head up to look at anything other than his mother, "Were kind of destroyed."

"Are you embarrassed by your mother's body?" Sagie chuckled.

Saiyans weren't ones to be embarrassed by nakedness. When you fight, your clothes often are destroyed. It was a fact of life that Saiyans merely embraced. So much so that the males were genetically hardwired to never be turned on in a fight setting—unless there was a precedent of sexual attraction between the two Saiyans fighting. Then, the fight might as well have been called flirting. A fair amount of Saiyan children were conceived because two sexually attracted parents got in a _fight_. Hell, her children had been conceived that way.

Still, Kakarot, just like his little brother, had been raised in such a human setting that he had been nurtured out of this natural instinct towards ignoring nakedness during battle. It was a strange thing to witness. The hardwired nature of a Saiyan being trumped by nurture. Sagie was pretty sure Bulma would be fascinated by such a realization. If Sagie was on speaking terms with the woman, she might have told her. As it were, however, she never would.

"I'm not embarrassed!" Kakarot's denial brought her back to reality. "There's just a lot of male fighters here; I don't want them to look at my mother and get," He blanched, looking clearly sickened by his own thoughts. "Ideas."

"I second that," Bardock called over his shoulder.

"I highly doubt any of these fighters," Sagie argued as she pushed herself up into a sitting position with Kakarot's quick assistance. "Are gonna look at me and think about sex."

Both boys pulled disgusted faces.

"Do you have to be so blunt?" Bardock whined, back visibly tightening. "I don't want to think of you having sex. It's disgusting."

"You know if I didn't have sex," She sighed and playfully shrugged her shoulders, "You two wouldn't be here, right?"

"Okay—," Bardock made a sound similar to gagging. "That's enough for me. You're awake." He glanced at her over his shoulder. "You're sitting up—I'm out of here!" Without preamble, Bardock shot off, headed in some unknown direction.

Mildly amused, Sagie chuckled to herself. She had a feeling talking about her sex life would make the boy flee. Still, Kakarot wasn't as put off—or—at the very least, he couldn't bring himself to abandon her as readily as Bardock did.

Pulling away from her a little bit, Kakarot cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked down at her, "Are you really in good enough shape to be left alone?"

"I'm fine," She waved a hand in front of her nose before changing its direction so that she could shove his face backwards and away from her.

Kakarot allowed himself to be pushed back, but did sigh loudly, "Ma-a-a."

"Ki-n-nd." She replied in Saiyan, dragging out the word for _child_ the same way he drug out the word for mother. "Go—back up your brother. I just need a few minutes; then, I'll be good to go."

Kakarot didn't look like he believed her, but he stood anyway, obeying, "If I even sense something funny in your energy," He looked right down at her, expression taunt. "I'll be back."

"Dear lord," Sagie brought a hand up to her head, rubbing her temples. "Who's the mother here?"

Drawing his lips into a tight line, triggered as it were by her choice of words, Kakarot muttered, "Chichi's not here."

The hand over Sagie's eyes dropped down a bit, covering her mouth and nose.

"So—," He continued on, knowing he was being cruel, but he had to put it straight, "I guess there isn't one."

The words hit Sagie right in the heart. Lifting up her head to look at the boy staring down at her with cold eyes, Sagie felt suddenly very exposed. It had been a few years since Kakarot shoved that fact in her face, but it was a truth she couldn't deny. She hadn't spent much time being a mother over her lifetime.

"If your mother isn't here," She drew out, a monster inside of her driving them, "Then why are you still standing there?"

Kakarot gritted his teeth and gulped. The words strung, but he knew he deserved them. "Ma," Feeling bad, he sank down a bit, "I didn't mean it." He hastily tried to apologize, realizing he had been an ass for no reason, "I'm sor—."

"Don't be." Sagie interrupted and raised up her head to look at the boy before her. "I deserve it."

"Ma! Don't talk like that." He dropped to one knee, but it was too late and he knew it.

Sagie's face was guarded, and she wouldn't look at him, "Go join your brother, Liebling."

The affectionate word said in Saiyan made him wince.

"He needs you," She continued, lifting one hand without looking at him. She touched the tips of her finger pads to his cheek and pushed, turning his head away from her. "A lot more than I do."

Kakarot didn't argue.

Pushing himself to his feet, he turned away from his biological mother, obeying her with no reason to. He was still in many ways a boy by Saiyan standards even though the humans viewed him as an adult. At only twenty-two, he would not have been considered an adult for another three years on Vegeta-sei. Saiyans matured far too slowly to be considered adults, mentally at least, any earlier than that. And as a, cognitively, still pretty young man, he didn't know when to obey and when not to.

-break-

Goku leaned against the rocks, eyes closed, but senses outstretched, aware of the world around him. He could already feel the power beginning to fill the well inside of him again. Sometimes, he was really, really glad he had been born a Saiyan. He knew that humans didn't have the ability to replenish energy within mere seconds, but Saiyans did. Give them a good five minutes and they were back to normal. It was crazy—and had often given him an advantage before he was even aware of his heritage.

Master Roshi had even once said when he was a boy that the thing that made him dangerous was his unnerving endurance. Goku always could get up when a human would have been broken, battered, dead.

_Another few minutes or so_, Goku thought to himself, _and I'll join the fray again_.

"Lucky!"

Goku's eyes snapped opened in surprise. He had been actively sensing, so no one should have snuck up on him in such a vulnerable state. Yet, standing a few precious feet away from him was the Goten (Bardock, he reminded himself) of universe 6. Quickly, Goku pulled himself to his feet using the outcropping of rock he had been leaning against for leverage.

"To think," Bardock muttered and punched the palm of his left hand with his right fist. "I'd run into you of all people."

"Well," Goku smiled faintly as he stretched his senses out only to find that none of his team members were close by. "I guess that is lucky, for one of us."

Smirking, Bardock nodded his head in agreement.

"So," Goku straightened to his full height, noticing for the first time that this older version of Goten was shorter than himself by a good few inches. It was a weird realization that made him question certain things he had been ignoring, but not enough to actually ask the boy. Now was not the time. "How can I help you?"

"Don't play dumb," Bardock grunted and sank down into a fighting stance.

"For once I'm really not," Goku tightened one hand into a fist as his muscles protested a bit. "I thought we had a truce."

"Truce is over," Bardock widened his stance and stepped a fraction to his right.

"I see," Goku followed his motions, going in the opposite direction, so that the two fighters were circling one another, "I guess me helping you with Frieza earlier was also forgotten."

Bardock made a face and his cheeks flushed a bit, "I appreciated the help," He called towards the older man who looked just like him, "But this is a tournament filled with fights to the death. You've got to be pragmatic in situations like this."

Clearly sweat dropping at the word, Goku tilted his head to the side and stood back up straight, "What's pragmatic mean?"

Stumbling over his own feet, Bardock glared, "Who the hell doesn't know what pragmatic means?"

Goku scratched the back of his head, appearing sheepish, "I've never had the best vocabulary."

"Dear lord!" Bardock snorted and shook his head. "We may look alike, but I think the similarities end there."

"Really," Goku blinked at the younger version of himself. "Maybe I'm just being—what was it?" He looked up to his left as if in thought, "Oh yeah," Goku snapped his fingers, closed his eyes, and sent the boy a pleased smile, "Pragmatic, right?"

Thrown a bit off, unsure if this was an act or if the man was a moron, Bardock raised up one eyebrow, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"According to my wife," Goku laughed openly and rubbed the back of his head, "A lot."

"What the hell are you doing, Goku!" Beerus suddenly screamed down at him from the stands, "This isn't time for small talk!"

"Oi!" Champa cupped his hands around his mouth as he directed his attention at Bardock, "Why are you getting all buddy, buddy—attack the bastard while he's powerless."

Something clicked in Bardock's head finally, and he tore his eyes off Champa to look at Goku, "You're stalling!"

Opening his eyes, Goku shrugged a bit, but did sink into a fighting stance once more, "Maybe—," He held up his thumb and pointer finger, keeping them apart by the fraction of an inch, "Just a little. But I really don't have any clue what pragmatic means."

Irritated, Bardock dropped his weight into a stance that was surprisingly similar to Goku's own. The two almost mirrored each other with just slight differences. Goku's hands were positioned just like Bardock's. The front hand inches from the face and the back hand fisted in chamber beside the back hip. The position of the front hand, though, differed between the two men. Bardock's front hand was knifed, all four fingers held up, straight and together; whereas, Goku's pointer and middle fingers were the only one's raised, the other two held down.

The sight of that slight modification in Bardock's fighting stance caught Goku's eye. It was a stance he was very, very familiar with, having been on the receiving end of those claw-like hands numerous times throughout his life.

Grip loosening just a bit, Goku stared at that front knife hand in wonder, one person on his mind, "Chichi."

Bardock's eyebrows shot up into his hair as Goku said the name. Sure, the man had mentioned the name before when they had first met, but he hadn't really acknowledged it then or thought about it much. Now, it caught him a bit off guard, "How do you know Chichi?"

Goku didn't respond. That sense of knowing in his gut told him he shouldn't, so instead he countered the boy with a question of his own, "How do you?"

The boy's whole body tightened from the question. His fighting instincts told him not to answer, but he was much younger than Goku and hadn't learn to listen to them yet, "She raised me."

Eyes widening somewhat from this information, Goku tried to put something together but came up short, "Really?" He mumbled, eyeing the boy in front of him. "What about your mother and father?"

Bardock's face split with pain that was a lifetime old, "This is stupid!" He screamed, his motions fueled by emotions and pain he tried to keep buried deep inside of himself. "Shut the fuck up and fight." He shot forward, arm pulled back to his ear, aiming the fist that had mirrored Goku's own for the look-a-like's face.

Even though Goku was still pretty exhausted, the conversation had given him the precious moments he needed to recoup enough energy to fight. Dodging the boy's fist by merely side stepping him, Goku brought his leg up, cocked it, and sent a round house kick into Bardock's back as he stumbled forward. The younger man hadn't accounted for missing his hit and, therefore, was unable to stop his forward momentum. An amateur mistake.

Surprised by the man's quick movements, Bardock flew a few feet away before front flipping, twisting his body in midair like a gymnast, and landing facing Goku once more. Not hesitating, he formed two fists in front of his body and screamed as he brought the energy of a Super Saiyan to the surface. There was no sense in holding back against this guy. His aim was to take him out, after all, not play.

Watching Bardock with suddenly serious eyes, Goku licked his lips and slipped into a fighting stance once more. The transformation intrigued him to no end. Cabba hadn't been able to transform at the previous tournament. He hadn't even known anything about the transformed state, which was bizarre. Then again, Goku wondered if Cabba had known about Sagie at all. There were too many gabs in his knowledge of this other universe and these other people's stories. It was kind of frustrating.

"What are you doing, idiot?!" Beerus screamed from his helpless position in the stands, "Get the hell out of there before that kid takes you out!"

Eyes flickering towards Beerus and his friends who were sitting in front of the God of Destruction, Goku spared them a smirk before redirecting his attention towards the boy who was now powered up. Goku knew Bardock was young. He could tell by looking at him as he got ready to attack. His body tensed not with certainty, but with anger and brashness known only to the inexperienced.

_He's just like me_, Goku shook his head and shifted his weight into his toes, _when I was young_.

Opening his mouth in a howl of rage, Bardock shot right towards Goku again, this time in his Super Saiyan form.

Fully prepared, Goku inhaled once deeply and pushed his weight backwards, springing off his toes. Rushing backwards, Goku watched as Bardock simply threw himself forward with even more tenacity. The boy reached him in seconds despite his retreat, throwing a multitude of punches at him. Using every sense he possessed, Goku slipped passed each one. The hairs on his arms told him when to block. The rush of wind being cut by Bardock's movements told him when to dodge. And the talent of a lifetime of fighting gave him the reaction time to do both even in his base form.

Growing irritated, Bardock snarled and back flipped to regroup, "How the fuck are you dodging?"

Wincing slightly at the curse word, Goku opened his mouth before he could stop himself, "Your mother would not be happy with that language."

"What the hell do you known about my mother!?" Bardock formed energy blasts in both his hands and shot them towards Goku simultaneously.

Blanching, Goku barely managed to dodge the energy blasts by literally bending his body in half. The twin blasts went right over him, missing his face by mere centimeters. Standing back up, Goku had to jump and twist out of the way of Bardock's incoming kick to his head. The boy continued moving passed him, the kick hitting a wall of rock instead.

Continuing to back flip a few yards, Goku sighed loudly as he came to a halt a safe distance away, "Sorry about that!" He called as he popped his neck. He could feel more energy starting to return to the well within him. "You just look a lot like my own son—it's kind of unnerving."

Swinging around, Bardock snorted. "I look nothing like your version of Kakarot."

"I wasn't talking about him," Goku stretched an arm over his chest, using his other hand to brace it at the elbow; the motion reminded Bardock of his mother, oddly. "I have a younger son we left at home. You and him could be twins—well—if he was a few years older anyway. He's only eleven." Goku switched arms, "You're what—like fifteen or so?"

Bardock looked clearly insulted, "I'm eighteen—damn it!" Bardock ran straight towards him, using his own anger as fuel

"My bad," Goku mumbled and jumped up into the air, just missing the boy's first punch.

Following him into the air, Bardock continued to hit, growing more and more frustrated as Goku continued to easily dodge him and block him, "Why!?" He screamed as he flipped backwards and sent as many energy attacks towards the older man as possible.

Landing on the ground, Goku summersaulted threw the air, getting out of the way of the first dozen blasts before front flipping half a dozen times to get out of the way of the next fifteen.

"Why," Bardock snapped, dropping his hands, and launching himself towards the spot Goku had landed, "Can't I hit you!? You're practically drained!"

Waiting for the boy to reach him, Goku put up one hand, "It's not because of power, Bardock," He spoke, bidding his time until Bardock was close enough, "It's experience," He finished almost casually as he quickly formed an energy blast that caught Bardock completely off guard. The boy hadn't realized Goku's body was already capable of forming one again.

"Dam—," Bardock didn't have time to cuss or stop before the energy blast literally blew up in his face. Flying backwards, it took Bardock a moment to correct himself. Throwing his feet over his head, he twisted around and landed a dozen yards away from the older man, exasperated, only to find Goku nowhere in sight, "What in the—?"

"Sorry Tien!" Goku yelled. "I'm gonna borrow your technique!"

Looking up in the direction the voice had come from, Bardock blinked as Goku's form on a nearby rock ledge came into view. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to launch himself at the other man, only to have his eyes widen as a technique he hadn't seen in years took shake.

Goku brought all five fingers up to either side of his face, closed his eyes, and screamed, "Solar Flare!"

Instantly blinded despite knowing exactly what was going to happen, Bardock brought his hands to his face in pain seconds before a blow connected with his side. Flying backwards, not sure which way was up or down or even what had hit him, Bardock slammed into the ground hard, flipping end over end several dozen times before coming to a halt against a rock. Quickly throwing himself back to his feet, Bardock tried to breathe through the pain in his side as his vision slowly returned.

Standing a few hundred yards away, Son Goku smiled and had the audacity to wave.

Wiping a bit of spit from his chin, unaware that the man hadn't hurt him (truly) since the fight started, Bardock felt his blood pressure rise, "Bastard!"

"Bardock!"

Startled, Bardock turned towards his older brother's voice. The older man ran towards him, skidding to a halt, and sinking down into a fighting stance. Without comment, he transformed into a Super Saiyan, eyes already on Son Goku and focused.

"Looks like you could use some help." He smirked without looking at his brother.

Across from them, Son Goku had sunk down into a fighting stance as well, but there was no fear in his eyes. If Bardock didn't know any better, he would have thought the man looked amused.

"Yeah," Bardock agreed, shifting into his own stance with his back to Kakarot's back; both of them facing their opponent. "We always did make a good team."

"True," Kakarot took a second to glance towards his brother, "Besides—we don't know jack shit about this guy," His eyes shifted towards the patiently waiting Goku. "Best to take him out quick."

Nodding his head in agreement, Bardock pushed his stance a bit wider, inching himself forward, "Isn't that," He looked right at Goku, body tensing in time with his brother's, "Pragmatic?"

The word was like a sign. Throwing themselves into motion, both Saiyan brothers let their battle cries rip from their throats as they shot towards Son Goku. Already fully prepared for them, Goku looked both directions before disappearing only to reappear all around them in at least twenty different positions.

"What the actual fuck?" Kakarot came to a full stop, automatically facing his back towards Bardock who did the same.

Standing back to back, both brothers followed the images with confused eyes. A dozen Son Goku's were looking at them, but all of them were blurry as if they were nothing more than the remnant of an image. And then, before Bardock was actual able to process what happened, the image in front of him abruptly solidified and slammed a punch to his face. Being back to back with his brother, Bardock ran smack dab into Kakarot, making both boys go airborne.

"Shit!" Bardock screamed as he and his brother flew together, bodies becoming entangled in such a way that it was hard to stop their momentum.

Shaking his head, Goku jumped up above the two, forming an energy blast in his hand and fired. It hit them dead on, smoke pouring from their bodies as the veracity of the hit changed their trajectory. The two plummeted towards the ground in a heap, only for Goku to use his Instant Transmission to get back underneath them. Aiming a knee to Bardock's back (the closest thing he could hit), Goku laughed slightly as his knee made contact, sending the boys back up. Using Instant Transmission again, Goku appeared above them, gripping his hands together to form a club that he sent straight into Kakarot's (the one closest to him from above) chest.

The boys plummeted to the ground once more, but Goku didn't appear below them. Instead, he finally let them hit the ground. Dust and debris flew into the air as the two boys disappeared into a relatively decent sized crater. Dropping down beside it, Goku watched the smoke clear an amused smile on his face.

-break-

High up in the stands, Beerus laughed loudly while gripping his stomach, "Pathetic!" He yelled towards his brother. "Those two Super Saiyans couldn't even touch Goku in his base form!"

Clamoring up to his feet, Champa snarled, "He must be cheating!"

"He isn't Champa-sama," Vados smiled faintly at the two boys.

She had gotten to know them through Sagie as she was training her. They were quite powerful and had done some amazing fighting in their short lives, but they did lack experience. Of the two, only Kakarot had ever truly been in a life or death fight before and won. And that had been years before this competition when he was still very much a boy.

"Son Goku-san is simply the better fighter." She continued to explain as she watched Kakarot and Bardock start to move in the rubble. "Fighting isn't just about power—it is about technique and experience."

"That is very true," Whis took over for her. "Goku-san's ability to fight doesn't actually rely on power. His power is significant, true, but his ability to win is dictated by his extensive knowledge of battle tactics and his ability to strategize with such speed. That's what makes him a great fighter—not his power level."

"Goku's always been that way," Master Roshi spoke up as he looked down at his former student fondly. "Even when he was a boy, he was able to plan and execute a battle strategy within seconds."

"It's the reason I only ever beat him once," Tien agreed as studied the two Saiyan boys. They were moving, albeit pretty slowly, "His ability to keep calm is—unnerving."

"Right?" Krillin joined in with a groan. "When we were kids, it always got on my nerves. I'd be wailing on him—screaming and insulting him," Krillin had the decency to blush, "And he would just stand there, taking it. He'd lull you into this false sense of security and then—bam! You'd be on the ground and have no idea what the hell hit you."

Smiling faintly, Vados glanced back towards the two boys. They were standing once more, but neither was willing to rush in. The two were learning as they fought the older Saiyan, and that pleased her greatly, "Son Goku-san is a very formidable opponent because of that trait." She spoke with the wisdom of her race, "Fighters that can keep calm are almost impossible to read—and are the best at formulating effective strategies."

Shin grinned and nodded towards the old master in front of him, "You must have been a great teacher, Roshi-sama."

The great Turtle Hermit turned to look at the Supreme Kai over his shoulder. At first, he looked surprised, but that expression soon slipped away. Shaking his head no, he laughed faintly, "I wasn't the one to teach him that," He twisted back around to look at his former student, seeing not a man but a child with a goofy grin, "I only taught him the basics—and the discipline necessary to learn."

"But Master," Tien glanced at the hermit, "You taught us so much—especially Goku."

"Tien-san." The normally ridiculous old man grew serious. "Have you ever asked Goku about his childhood?"

"I was there for quite a bit of it."

"But have you ever asked him about the things he did—when he disappeared for years at a time?"

Tien and Krillin looked at each other, trying to understand what the old man was getting at, "Not really—," Tien spoke for both of them, "I don't know much about what he used to do between tournaments back in the day."

"Do you know how old he was the first time I sent him out into the world, all alone?"

Krillin knew the answer to this one, "He was twelve—almost thirteen."

Even the gods and angels around them straightened a bit. They had all been vaguely listening to the conversation, but now they were intrigued. Even amongst gods and angels, the idea of an emotionally immature student training alone was interesting. Most of them had trained with a master until they were truly mentally mature—which was around two thousand years old for an angel, whereas it was around eighteen or even older for some mortals. Only upon reaching maturity were they released to peruse their training alone. To think, a mortal had been allowed to train alone as a true mental child. It was an eye-opening fact about Son Goku, in a way.

"Do you remember what I told him," Master Roshi motioned with his chin towards Goku just as Bardock and Kakarot rushed at him once more. "When he was twelve?"

Krillin gulped faintly and shifted uncomfortably. He had been jealous of Goku when he was young, still was to a degree. But, all those years ago, Master Roshi's words to Goku had been downright painful. He hadn't understood back then the differences that rested between him and the younger man. As an adult, though, he could admit: Goku had been way more mature than him in many ways.

"I have nothing left to teach you. It is time you stepped out into the world."

A faint smile formed on Master Roshi's face. He could still see clear as day the look that had formed on Goku's face. The way his eyes had flickered with excitement at the prospect.

"I expect you to explore every inch of it, and as you do, I expect you to correct your weaknesses—and learn things that even I don't know." Inhaling deeply, Krillin cleared his throat. "That's what you said."

Master Roshi looked down at his old hands, studying the wrinkles embedded in them, "I never expected that he would take me so seriously—but he did." Clutching his hands into fist, Master Roshi looked back towards Goku, watching as he dodged the two Saiyan men. "He went out into the world—and came back without a single weakness and knowledge of things I couldn't imagine."

"And he never stopped," Krillin smiled, but the expression was strained. "He just—keeps going—keeps learning—."

"And we get farther and farther behind," Tien filled in the silent blank Krillin had left in the air.

"And that will never change." Master Roshi looked towards Krillin and Tien. "Goku will never stop learning. His desire to be better and better will never disappear. That is, truly, what makes Goku such an amazing, accomplished fighter—and it's something that I didn't teach him," He pulled his eyes away from the two men he had taught and then placed his eyes again on Goku, "Because that's not something that can be taught," The affection on his face doubled. "It's innate; a part of who you are."

Around them, the angels glanced towards one another, silent understanding passing between them that the mortals weren't privy to at all. Really, the only mortal who noticed was Master Roshi himself, but he was only aware of the slight movement of Vados' hand as she clutched her staff a little more tightly.

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Wasser_

Sagie sat in the chair across from the regeneration tank with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched Chichi's hair dance in the water. It was oddly hypnotic to watch as it caressed the tops of Chichi's exposed white breasts. In all her life, Sagie could not recall having ever seen a woman with skin so fair it was nearly the color of milk. Somehow, that fact was almost as erotic as the woman's hair hovering above a perked nipple, although she had no idea why.

Ignoring the way her stomach knotted from the sight, Sagie licked her lips and turned her thoughts away from Chichi's body. Instantly, her mind went back to the day before and, unconsciously, her fingers grasped at the blue body suit she was wearing. Her armor had been abandoned a few hours ago in favor of waiting more comfortably for Chichi to finish healing. The woman had been so close to death that she needed an eight-hour session, but Sagie didn't mind waiting that long. She would wait an eternity if it meant the woman who had nearly sacrificed her life for her children would live.

Sighing, she leaned her head back, taking her eyes off Chichi, and looked at the ceiling of the room, "What am I going to do?" She whispered as images of the planet Earth exploding followed, unsolicited, by an image of Vegeta plagued her. Pursing her lips and gritting her teeth, she growled low in her throat. "Bastard."

A rational part of her knew that Vegeta hadn't been himself when he attacked, but in the end, it didn't matter. Vegeta had delivered the ultimate betrayal by attacking her children, and that was unforgivable to a Saiyan and most mothers for that matter. She would never forgive him, but that didn't mean she wouldn't avenge him.

"I'm going to fucking kill you," She spoke to no one. "Frieza."

Suddenly, the tank in front of her began to beep, causing her body to jolt. Standing up from the chair, she watched as Chichi's eyes opened and then widened in shock from the sight of the water.

"You're okay!" Sagie hastily made her way to the tank's controls just as the air mask fell from Chichi's mouth. "Hold your breath!" Punching in the proper commands, Sagie watched the water drain away from the other woman, leaving her skin moist.

The door buzzed loudly and opened the second all the water was gone, leaving a wet and clearly confused Chichi staring right at her, "What the hell is this?"

"A Regeneration Tank," Sagie explained easily. "You were hurt pretty bad, but the water in there is some special shit that can heal almost any wound. You probably won't even have scars."

Looking wholly unconvinced and a bit dazed, Chichi held onto the sides of the tank. Her eyes moved around as if she wasn't sure where to look, and her body glistened as beads of water dripped down her hair and fell onto her breasts and taunt stomach.

The sight gave Sagie pause for all of a second before she quickly shook herself back to reality. Trying to smile encouragingly, Sagie offered the other woman a hand, "You feel okay?"

Still clutching the side of the pod, it took Chichi a minute to gather her bearings, but she did take the offered hand eventually. "Sagie-san?" She whispered as if just realizing that Sagie was the person in front of her.

"The one and only," Sagie confirmed as she helped Chichi step over the tank's edge and onto the rubber mat in front of it.

Eyes flickering every which-a-way, Chichi clutched her hands into worried fists in front of her naked chest, "Where are the boys?"

"They're napping in the next room," Sagie explained while checking her over for any remaining wounds. Her flesh was smooth, however, and perfectly reformed. "Took a while to get Kakarot back up to speed, but he's okay."

Chichi's hands fell from her breasts and she looked at Sagie as if everything had just registered in her head. "Oh my god," Her deep, black eyes went wide with panic. Reaching out, she latched her hands onto Sagie's shoulders actually shaking the woman. "He's hurt!?"

"No," Sagie reached up, grabbing Chichi's wrists carefully to stop her, "Well—not anymore anyway," She confirmed and lowered Chichi's hands from her shoulders. "He needed some time in the tank too—but nowhere near as long as you."

Confused completely, Chichi allowed Sagie to remove her hands and then blushed bright red as she realized for the first time that she was completely naked. Covering herself hastily, looking away from the other woman, she scanned the room once more. This time, though, she was trying frantically to find anything she could cover herself with. "Where are my clothes?"

"I took them off you to put you in the Regeneration Tank." Sagie explained as she grabbed a nearby towel and started gently drying Chichi off.

Completely and utterly embarrassed by the other woman clearly drying her, Chichi tried to take the towel from Sagie but the woman stopped her by looking up. Sagie's dark eyes were tense and filled with a strange combination of appreciation and hopelessness that made Chichi's embarrassment fall away.

"In my culture," Sagie whispered, eyes flickering towards a nearby closed door. "We always repay favors given in battle. You protected my sons with your life—I will heal your wounds, understand?"

Chichi nodded and stopped resisting. Instead, she turned her attention to the room around her, needing a distraction from the woman's careful drying of her body. There were several tanks lining the back of the room along with a variety of shelves and cabinets. From what she could see, each shelf was filled to the brim with basic medical supplies: tape, braces, bandages, etc.

Pulling away from her, Sagie surveyed Chichi's body carefully one last time. The woman was in good shape. There were no cuts or bruises left over. The tank had done its job healing her. Still, Sagie actually shifted uncomfortably as she found herself staring a little too long at the spot where Chichi's long black hair covered the swell of her breasts and nipple. The woman was a pleasant shape, very different from a Saiyan. Soft and—curvy.

Clearing her throat, she handed Chichi the towel and backed away slightly, "I picked up some clothes for you in the market," She muttered, crossing the room to grab them. She had tried to find something similar to what Chichi had been wearing when she saw her last. Surprisingly, that hadn't been too difficult.

Chichi followed her motions as she held the towel in front of her. Soon enough, Sagie handed her an outfit very similar to one of her favorites. It was a simple kung fu fighting gi, a deep purple in color, that had been designed for women. Dropping the towel, she quickly grabbed the pants and slipped them on, not bothering to ask if there was any underwear. For all she knew, alien women didn't wear any. Then, she grabbed the top, slipping it over her head. It reached all the way to the floor but had a slit along both sides to the hip, making it easy to fight in.

"Thanks," Chichi muttered. "Can I see the boys?"

"Sure," Sagie started towards the door she had indicated earlier.

Following her, Chichi wasn't surprised when the door simply faded in front of them, seeming to dematerialize before her eyes. The two walked through it, and her heart dropped. Laying together on a small bed were the two boys she had raised over the past two years, curled together in a tiny heap. She rushed around Sagie, who didn't follow, only to stop at the edge of the bed. The two boys were tightly curled together. Kakarot's arms wrapped around his baby brother who was clutching to his elder brother's shirt with bawled pudgy fists.

It was an adorable sight. Still, part of her wanted to wake them with hugs and kisses, but another part of her wanted to let them sleep. In the end, she settled for the half measure. Sitting on the side of the bed, she reached out and brushed the hair out of each boy's face gingerly.

"Sagie-san?" She whispered without looking at the other woman. "Where are we?"

"The planet Wasser. Not even a light year from Earth."

Nodding to herself, absorbing the information readily enough, Chichi licked her lips, "What—happened to—to Earth?"

Feeling uncomfortable, Sagie glanced towards the window in the room. Outside, the giant oceans that covered the planet could be seen for miles and miles. She watched the water ebb and flow around them, waves crashing against distance hoovering buildings that covered only 10-15% of the planet. It was a backwoods planet. One Frieza would never get near. She hoped.

"It's gone."

Chichi's hand stilled on Kakarot's head, "Gone?" Her voice wasn't even a whisper. It was just a broken slip of sound.

"You remember Frieza?"

"The man you left to—to fight?" There was a break in her voice that indicated crying, but Sagie couldn't see her face to confirm.

"Yeah," Sagie couldn't bring herself to say what she needed to next. What should have been said.

Pulling her hand away from the children she viewed as her own, Chichi turned around and looked straight at Sagie. "He destroyed my home—my friends—everyone?"

Sagie stayed silent neither denying nor affirming Chichi's speculations.

Understanding the words in the silence, Chichi looked towards her lap, heartbreaking. Tears flooded her eyes, and she broke down into sobs.

Sagie, helplessly, watched as the woman mourned her world. Sagie herself had never cried over her people and their deaths, but she couldn't blame Chichi for falling into the same urge. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Chichi wiped the last of the tears away. Her face was blotchy and red, and her nose was running, but their was a beauty to her that kept Sagie focused on her glassy, black eyes. They were huge eyes, bright and wide opened. They looked as if they could see the entire world.

"If only—," Chichi took a shaky breath, "If only Kami-sama were here."

"Kami-sama?" Sagie mumbled the name surprised that Chichi was aware of him. "The God of your planet? Was he powerful?"

"No—I mean—yes. He was powerful, but," Chichi shook her head, half tempted to not say anything further, but unable to stop now. "He created the Dragon Balls—if we had them—we could fix all of this. We could wish the planet bac-k-k. My friend-s-s," Chichi lost the battle against tears again. Sniffling, lip quivering, she dropped her face back into her hands, crying softly so as not to wake the boys.

Not saying a word about Chichi's sniffling, Sagie stared at the other woman's head. "Dragon Balls?" She repeated the phrase slowly, tasting it as her lips moved. Suddenly, her eyes went wide opened. Those same lips parted in realization as she was transported back years in mental time to Battle School and a lesson on alien races.

They had been studying the minor ones that bore no consequence on them unless they were, for whatever reason, marooned. Planet Namek had been one of the planets that the teacher dedicated more time to than others. He had explained that the Namekian's planet had no value. It was located in a remote, strategically irrelevant sector of the universe. Famine had nearly driven its people to extinction and made the planet itself undesirable. Plus, the warriors were powerful when provoked. That knowledge, accompanied with all the other relevant information, made it a Class M planet in the Frieza Empire: Monetarily Insignificant.

But—one thing her teacher had told her all those years ago that stuck out was an offhanded comment on a Namekian Legend: The Dragon family of Planet Namek could grant wishes using something called Dragon Balls. The teacher had said it was mere fantasy, but as Sagie looked at Chichi crying into her hands, she found herself second guessing the belief.

"Chichi," She placed a hand on Chichi's hunched back, shaking the woman. The boys on the bed, remarkably and very much like Saiyans, continued to sleep even as the bed shifted. "Chichi look at me."

Pulling her hands away from her face, Chichi wiped some of the tears away and blinked up at Sagie, "Wha—?"

"Are they real? The Dragon Balls," Sagie whispered frantically. "Are they real on your planet?"

"Yes, but they're gone—," Chichi tried to explain. "If the person who created them dies, they die."

"And the Kami of your planet, he created them?"

"Yes."

Throwing herself backwards towards a blank monitor at the back of the room, Sagie hastily pressed the green activation button. The screen blinked on, revealing an alien language that Chichi, honestly, couldn't read. Sagie apparently had no trouble reading it, however. The woman hastily punched in a series of what could have been words to the touch-screen monitor. After several seconds, the monitor flicked and a picture of a man who looked suspiciously like Piccolo formed on the screen.

"What in the world?" Chichi pushed away from the bed in shock.

"Did your Kami-sama look like this—do you know?"

"Yes," Chichi filled in for her as her heart thudded in her chest. "That looks exactly like him."

Sagie began to shake with a weird sense of relief that soon turned to doom. Frieza's last words before leaving her bubbled up inside of her like lava. Frieza had been going to Namek, "He knows."

"What?"

Snapping her head towards Chichi, Sagie's mouth dropped opened, "We have to get to Namek. That's the planet that your Kami-sama is from."

"But—I don't—."

"Frieza is headed there." She snapped, cutting Chichi off, "He must be interested in the legend. If that son of a bitch manages to get a hold of magic fucking orbs that can grant him any wish he desires, we're screwed!"

"So," Chichi tried to follow the drastic turn of events, "And you saying we go after him?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Sagie nodded, "It's the only option."

"How far away is it?"

Sagie glanced at the projection, moving it around with the tip of one finger. "That vessel Vegeta brought me to your planet in will get us there in a little over two weeks—but—," Sagie lowered her hand in thought. "I think we should sell it and buy a GCC instead."

"GCC?"

"Gravity Chamber Cruiser." The Saiyan woman filled in. "It will take a month to get there in that—but—it has its advantages."

"What would that be?"

Inhaling deeply, Sagie looked towards the woman she barely knew. She was pretty. Her hair was drying now and it has a silky texture that made Sagie feel something she had forgotten the sensation of. It made her feel peaceful. Shaking the feeling, she licked her lips and turned back towards the image of Namek playing on the small screen, "There's always the chance that Frieza will get there before us." The Saiyan inside of her roared at the idea of seeing the lizard man once more, "If that happens, we need to be prepared to beat him."

**Please Review**


	9. Ribrianne

**Chapter 9:**

**Lovely, Love, Love, Ribrianne!**

Still on the other side of the ring, Sagie leaned her head back against the rock she had been left on and breathed in and out quietly. Her mind wandered over the past, searching for the exact moment in time when her life had been permanently and horrifically altered to follow the path that had led her here to this moment. Much to her frustration, she found that in the recesses of her memory there was not one single moment but, instead, a series of them that had altered her. Millions of them, all horrendous and unnerving.

Still—some stood out more than the rest of them. More than abandoning her children. More than running with her tail between her legs twice. More than watching Vegeta die. More than allowing him to beat her.

Clutching a hand to her side, she closed her eyes as images of Frieza overwhelmed her.

"Bastard," She whispered.

The space behind her eyelids where darkness normally rested was filled by the white of one of Frieza's deadly eyes. It stared at her before morphing into his heinous face: a smirk, a dimple, a sleek rounded head that led to shoulders and a hand tipped with red.

Her eyes snapped opened, but not from the imaginary sight. She had sensed something.

"Warrior of Darkness from Universe 6!"

Sagie blinked rapidly as the voice reached her ears. It was obnoxiously upbeat and high pitched, hurting her delicate Saiyan hearing. Twisting her head around, she looked for the source and pulled a face once she found it, "Dear lord, no one's eliminated you yet?"

Standing on a rock outcropping, Ribrianne in her transformed state, pointed down at Sagie with one pudgy, yellow gloved finger, "I—," She placed her hand, open-palmed, on her chest right over her heart, "Hero of justice and love," She ripped the hand away, forming a fist that she snapped downwards until it was aimed at Sagie who was still sitting against the rock on the ground, "Will now take you out!"

"Mother fucker," Sagie brought a hand up to her forehead and began to rub her temples, "What hell did you crawl out of?"

"You're the one who crawled out of hell!" Ribrianne snapped before backflipping off the rock and landing on another, taller, piece of tournament debris. "Now prepare yourself!"

"Do I have to?" Sagie grumbled, but forced herself up and off the ground with more effort than she cared to admit using. Her muscles were aching in a way she had never experienced before and a headache the likes of which would have killed a human was pounding in her temple.

"I hope this emotion reaches you!" Ribrianne smiled and winked at a still disgruntled Sagie, forming her hands into a symbol resembling a heart, "Ribrianne—!"

Instantly, Ribrianne spun in one wide circle, the strange thing on her head twitching with power as she drew her energy to the surface. Disturbed, Sagie actually sweat dropped as a giant heart formed in front of the woman.

"Light of Love," Ribrianne's horrifically high-pitched voice filled the air as she side jumped to position herself properly behind the heart, "Attack!" Her hands moved with precision that went against her physical appearance entirely, punching out hearts that blanketed the ring.

Tensing, Sagie managed to cartwheel out of the way of one of the hearts, watching as it hit the ground and promptly exploded, "Shit!" She cursed and started to run despite her protesting muscles. Inhaling sharply through her nose, she coughed as an obnoxiously sweet odor made bile rise up her throat, "What the hell kind of attack is this?"

Overhead Ribrianne didn't respond, but merely continued to punch out more and more hearts as an insufferable laugh left her throat. All around her the arena was flooded by the odor, and much to Sagie's horror, the men were all reacting to it. Skidding to a halt, now a safer distance away, Sagie blinked up at the woman and glanced around herself horrified. Men from every universe were mindlessly going towards the hearts until they were hit and promptly eliminated by the ensuing explosion. It was pathetic to say the least.

"Does it hypnotize—men?" She wondered out loud just as the attack abruptly stopped.

Confused, Sagie didn't have much time to turn back towards Ribrianne, and in the fraction of a second she was distracted, the warrior of love took full advantage.

Ribrianne's fist slammed into the side of Sagie's fist, sending her head over heels in a bad way.

Dizzy and still weakened from whatever the hell had happened to her, Sagie barely managed to flip her feet over her head as she shot through the air. Then, pointing her heels downwards, she slammed her feet into the ground, allowing herself to slide backwards as she got her barring. Ribrianne was standing across from her laughing into the back of her hand.

"What's wrong?" The woman spread her feet apart, lifting one hand behind her and the other in front. "Did you fall in love with me? You wouldn't be the first girl to."

Somewhere in the stands Master Roshi made a sound like a mating tortoise.

Wiping her cheek, Sagie stood up a little bit straighter. The men around them had gone back to fighting. Ribrianne had only been using the attack as a distraction, not as anything more. "No offense," Sagie commented as she fell into her own fighting stance, "But you're not my type."

Ribrianne's nostrils flared and her gaze narrowed. Then, abruptly, her eyes shimmered with mirth, "By the time I'm done with you, you'll want to kiss the ground I walk on."

Rolling her eyes, Sagie returned the mirthful look with a down-right cocky smirk, "The word you were looking for in that sentence wasn't kiss," She drew some of her energy to the surface. "It was vomit!" She screamed and launched herself towards her opponent with a body that just wanted to collapsed on the ground.

-break-

Goku turned away from the strange fight that was happening on the other side of the ring, eyebrow raised. He knew the female Saiyan was involved in it and the hearts had been a powerful attack, but he didn't have time to investigate the particulars of either. Bardock and Kakarot wouldn't let him.

Exhaling, the older Saiyan turned towards the two boys. He knew they were also aware that their injured mother was fighting, but they didn't seem too concerned which actually surprised Goku. In his universe, Gohan and Goten were very protective of their mother. He actually pitied the person who tried to touch a hair on the woman's head, not just because of the boys of course. Truthfully, he pitied them more because of what he would do to them, but all that aside, he wondered why the boys didn't seem worried about Sagie the same way they worried about Chichi in his universe. Maybe it was because Sagie was a Saiyan.

"Now!" Kakarot screamed and both boys launched themselves at Goku once more.

Jumping backwards, Goku tensed his body, preparing himself for the oncoming assault. Bardock aimed an energy blast right towards his head, which was easy to duck underneath, and Kakarot aimed a kick to his opposite side that he blocked with his bare arm. The two hurts were followed by a barrage of punches and kicks that came at Goku from every angle. With a boy on each side of him, Goku did his best to move his arms with all the speed he possessed. Their yellow hair blurred as they kicked and punched him with near perfect synchronicity.

It was actually very impressive. Still, Goku couldn't help but notice the similarities between these two boys and his own. Just as Gohan tended to keep his body straight forward during an assault revealing his stomach, Kakarot did as well. Just as Goten favored straight punches that didn't protect his face properly, Bardock did too.

It was an advantage that the two boys couldn't reciprocate.

Ducking down under a hook punch from Kakarot that he saw coming a mile away, Goku delivered a swift uppercut to the boy's middle, sending him up and over his own head. Then, lifting his leg at the same time, he kicked backwards without having to look, planting a heel into Bardock's unprotected face.

The two boys flew away from him, landing on opposite sides as they glared. Goku adjusted his stance so that he could see both of them from the corner of his eyes and waited for their next attack. He could feel his power slowly starting to return, thank the gods, and soon he would be able to do more than just fend the two boys off. Clutching a fist at his side, Goku watched as Kakarot straightened. In the boy's black eyes, Goku could see the same highly analytical look that Gohan got on his face when he was thinking through his next move. It was a tell that Goku had spent the better part of three months when Gohan was a boy trying to train out of him, but it had never really stuck. Gohan overanalyzed while fighting—kind of like Vegeta.

"Bardock." Kakarot straightened completely, rolling his shoulders backwards, eyes staring Goku down with unnatural animosity. "It's time!" He screamed towards his brother. "Full power!"

This made Goku pause. To his left, Bardock's scream made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and to his right, Kakarot's flickering, violent power made his body tense with good reason.

"No way." He whispered as both boys simultaneously went Super Saiyan Two before his very eyes. "This just got," He sank into a fighting stance, that sweet feeling he always got in battle when he knew it was going to be a good fight, running up and down his spine, "Really interesting."

-break-

Running at full speed, Sagie grimaced. Behind her Ribrianne had formed some kind of stupid, irritating ball of love or some other shit that she could barely keep ahead of. Sliding in a side semi-circle, she twisted on her heel, changing directions so she might confuse the stupid woman, but it was purposeless. Ribrianne changed directions just as fast as Sagie did.

"Damn," Sagie grunted and jumped up a series of outcroppings until she was high enough to launch herself temporarily in the air. Then, turning so she was looking down at the murderous ball, she used the energy she had managed to collect again to fire as many energy blasts as she possibly could.

Ribrianne came out of her ball transformation for the sole purpose of dodging the attacks by dancing around in a ridiculous circle. Backflipping, summersaulting, cartwheeling, and jumping this way and that, she dodged every hit and slowly made her way towards Sagie who couldn't stay permanently in the air since flight had been banned.

"You'll never escape the power of my love!" Ribrianne squealed out as she finally seemed to materialize in front of Sagie's body.

Stunned by the speed, Sagie flinched backwards and formed a two-handed energy blasts that she fired towards the other woman. Using the force of the energy pushing away from her body, Sagie flew backwards, out of Ribrianne's reach and flipped to land on an outcropping. More energy was beginning to gather in her body. The healing nature of a pure blooded Saiyan giving her an advantage that only a handful of people in the ring were aware of the species possessing.

Throwing herself towards Sagie, Ribrianne smiled in an overly sweet, nearly sadistic way as she pulled her hand back to the side of her head prepared to punch, "I'll hit you with everything!" She screamed and Sagie brought her hands up in an x to cover her face.

"Love!" Ribrianne hit her crossed arms and much to Sagie's amazement, bounced off of her like a rubber ball, reset herself, and flew forward again.

"Friendship!"

Sagie waited for the woman to bounce once more. She did, "What in the world?" She whispered surprised at the lack of pain in her arms.

"Dreams!"

The hit came again, a slight sting, but nothing actually all that impressive. Either Ribrianne was weak or Sagie was regaining her power. As Ribrianne prepared to place the next punch on Sagie's crossed arms, Sagie gritted her teeth, hedging a bet in her head that it wasn't Ribrianne who was weak but her gaining her strength back.

Screaming, Sagie brought all the energy she could to her back, the tingling sensation she had known for sixteen years flowing from the base of her neck into the world around her. Ribrianne's shocked face egged her on, and she summoned all the power she could to the surface. Instantly, it flooded her body, gold energy encompassing every part of her as brought forth the Super Saiyan Transformation. With one last deadly scream, she threw her energy outwards. The heat of it slammed into the unprepared Ribrianne sending the woman flipping end over end.

Not waiting for anything, Sagie bent her knees and shot after the heinous woman, gold hair, blue eyes, and slightly bigger muscles egging her on. Pulling a punch back by her head, she slammed it into Ribrianne's already screaming face, following it up with at least forty or fifty more. Her battle cries ripped from her throat as she hit every part of Ribrianne that she could, face, neck, stomach, back, arms, legs, eyes, throat. Ribrianne wailed in response, unable to keep up with the woman's sudden burst of power.

Using one of her punches to twist her body around, Sagie delivered a spinning hook kick to Ribrianne's side, watching for only a second as the woman hit a nearby rock that dissolved into a cloud of smoke from the contact.

Widening her stance, feet a good shoulder length or two apart, Sagie crossed her arms in front of her chest dragging more energy to the surface. Her arms glowed red as the energy flowed throughout her, rushing from her core into her limbs. Inhaling sharply, she flung her arms over wards, wide, manipulating her energy into individual spears. Red energy balls formed all around her arms, resting just against her skin, as she sent as much energy as she could into them, concentrating it.

"I hope you're ready, Love Ball!" Sagie yelled as the smoke around Ribrianne cleared, revealing the woman's wide and scared eyes. "Rot-e," She screamed out the first part of the attacks name. The balls on her arms seemed too jump off her skin before they began to swirl, forming a tornado that encompassed the entirety of her body. They flew faster and faster until they seemed to blur all together, hiding Sagie from sight in a red twisted of energy. "Explosion!"

Sagie slammed her palms together. The red energy shot forward, moving faster than humanly possible, a thousand red energy blasts going turbo speed right for Ribrianne's panicked face.

-break-

Goku screamed as Kakarot's knee hit him square in the back, sending his body reeling upwards. He never would have imagined that this Kakarot was on par with his own, for some reason that hadn't seemed possible to him until now. Up above his head, the equally powerful Bardock formed his hands into a club and hit Goku right in the face. Body plummeting towards the ground where Kakarot stood in wait, Goku barely managed to open one eye. He could feel the wind ripping around his body along with his hair as it brushed against his neck.

Seconds before he knew he should either hit the ground or receive another blow from Kakarot, a shadow of a foot crossed over his face. His eyes widened in vague surprise as the black shoes, similar to Krillin's and Master Roshi's, connected with his nose.

Every fiber of his being hurt as he hit the ground, breaking the rocks with the combination of his own hard body and the force of Kakarot's hit. Not stopping until he had formed a pretty substantial hole in the tournament floor (it had to be at least ten or fifteen feet deep), Goku whined in the back of his throat and sat up, rubbing his head.

"Man," He grumbled. His senses told him that both boys had landed on either side of the crater and were waiting for him to emerge. "You two hit hard in that state."

"Get up old man!" Bardock called into the crater, leaning over it with a smirk on his face that didn't look anything like the Goten from universe 7. "Or are you too tired?"

"Nope," Goku mumbled as he pushed himself to his feet, absently running a finger under his nose with a chuckle. "Not tired at all." He placed his hands on his hips and looked up at Bardock and Kakarot who were staring down at him cockily. "You know—I've been thinking about this a bit—and I was wondering if I could ask you two a question."

Bardock and Kakarot looked at each other surprised, but it was Kakarot who looked back at Goku, "What about?"

"Well," Goku jumped up, making the two boys flinch, but he didn't attack them. Instead, he landed between the two so that the three were standing around the crater forming a triangle. "I was wondering who trained you?"

Kakarot sank into a fighting stance already looking downright suspicious of the older Saiyan. For a second it looked like he wouldn't answer and then the frown turned into something else. A wince that made him look older than he actually was, "Sagie was my first instructor as a child, then Chichi," He explained, "And finally Piccolo."

Raising an eyebrow in question, Goku turned his attention back to Bardock who was also positioned and ready to fight again, "What about you?"

"Chichi was my first instructor—then Piccolo." He scrunched up his face oddly, "And Sagie—ish."

Appearing thoughtful, Goku crossed his arms over his chest. To put it mildly, he was intrigued by the answer. Looking between the two boys, he was once again struck with the resemblance they shared with him and the lack of recognition that should have come with that.

"That's all?" He questioned further even though he could tell the boys' patience with his questions was beginning to dissipate. Truthfully, Goku was just buying a bit of time by asking them, but now—having gotten the answer—he found himself curious, "What about your father?"

That was the wrong question to ask when stalling for healing time.

Kakarot moved without another thought, giving Goku only a few seconds to dodge the hit. Getting the hell out of the way, Goku skidded to a halt as Bardock jumped over his brother's body fully prepared to follow up with the next hit.

"I guess the time for questions is up," Goku told himself, smiling faintly, as he collected the familiar energy in his back. It wouldn't be long before it all came back to the surface.

-break-

Staring into the rubble that was now covering Ribrianne's body, Sagie clicked her tongue loudly. The smoke was beginning to clear, revealing the unconscious body of the single most annoying opponent Sagie could ever recall fighting, and she had been Vegeta's sparring partner as a child. Starting towards the rubble, hands on her hips, Sagie was fully prepared to grab the idiot and throw her over the edge of the ring to finish the elimination process. So much so, in fact, that she didn't sense the next attacker coming until she spoke.

"Don't worry, Ribrianne!"

Tensing immediately, Sagie whipped her head around and looked up at a woman who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"When the world weighs you down with evil," The woman smiled behind her orange, frameless glasses, "You can always turn to the people you love."

"Another one?" Sagie's whole body seemed to sag, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"How dare you speak in such a way!?" The woman's purple hat twitched as she placed one hand on her hip and pointed the other at Sagie.

Looking down the finger towards the woman's face, Sagie slowly shook her head back and forth. "Why do you people spend so much time pointing?"

Ignoring Sagie's rhetorical question, the new opponent continued pointing at her anyway. "My name is Roasie," She slammed her hand against her chest in much the same way Ribrianne had, "Most important ally of my dearest friend Ribrianne. In the name of love," She raised the hand up above her head, forming a defiant fist with it, "I will defeat you!" She threw the hand downwards and pointed at Sagie once again.

Sagie blinked, "Okay—," She waved an impatient hand at her opponent, "Get on with it then."

Screaming, Roasie did just that. Jumping from her position on the higher ground, she screamed the name of an attack that Sagie didn't catch at first. Suddenly, what felt like five million hands were assaulting Sagie. It took every ounce of energy control and power she had to block and dodge the impossible motions, but even that wasn't enough. Before she knew it, the hits were connecting, and not only were they fast, they were painful. A half dozen connected with her diaphragm followed by another thirty that went to the rest of her body. Spit flew from her mouth as she went sailing backwards, slamming into a rock outcropping just on Ribrianne's other side.

Dizzy from the intensity, Sagie shook her head, blinked, and jumped away from her prison just before the hands started again, only this time they were joined by another set.

"Shit!" She cursed as she jumped and blocked and dodged and backflipped and spun in a 360-degree circle to escape the constantly moving hands of both Roasie and the now recovered Ribrianne. How the woman had managed to get up, she had no idea, but here she was with her damn partner. And, between the two of them, Sagie couldn't even hope to find an opening.

Worst yet, Roasie's hands were beginning to glow as they picked up even more speed. Shocked, Sagie didn't have time to dodge as the first ki blast hit her side, followed by another that burned her ear, and a third that singed her gi top, creating a burned hole right above her navel. Just barely getting out of the way of the next hit, Sagie literally turned her back and ran, having no further course of action. She only knew that she had to get as far away from the other two fighters as humanly possible so she could regroup.

Unfortunately for her, regrouping wasn't on the table.

Before she could get even twenty feet away, a creature leapt at her with literal claws. Skidding to a halt, she back flipped immediately out of the way and sent a punch for the masked, blue animal's head. The beast like woman, snarled in respond, ducking out of the way. Sagie felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end when the beast didn't just duck down underneath the punch but instead went left to get out of her way. Heat formed on her neck and Sagie turned, catching two punches, one from Roasie and the other from Ribrianne, to her face that sent her spiraling backwards through three rock outcroppings.

Here back burned as she hit each one. Her tough Saiyan skin was the only thing that prevented it from ripping opened. Finally coming to a halt, Sagie coughed slightly. She was sitting somewhat upright, half-way through the third rock outcropping. She hadn't been hit hard enough to go all the way through it. Body aching, she reached up to grab a piece of rock in an effort to stand. It crumbled under her hand, jarring her body a bit, but unhindered, she pushed herself up. She wasn't really hurt beyond some insignificant bruising, but that didn't mean she wasn't slightly concerned.

Her dark eyes studied the three women that were standing in a semi-circle about fifteen feet in front of her. Suddenly, as if they had a collective brain, the three women jumped up and backwards, eyes still facing her. Sagie watched the three as they each landed on a different well-positioned rock cliff.

Surrounded now by Ribrianne and her two minions, Sagie tensed. She still wasn't healed enough to go any higher than Super Saiyan and these girls, as stupid as they appeared, were tough. She didn't know if she could hold them off for all that long without transforming to a higher power level, but she still lacked the energy necessary to do so. If only she could go blue, hell even Super Saiyan Two, then she could at least hold her own against them.

"Well—well," She muttered under her breath even as her heartbeat began to quicken. "Didn't this just get interesting?" She chuckled, unable to hold back her excitement, suddenly. It had been quite a few years since she found herself against this big of a wall.

Just then, a familiar battle cry rang through her ears, making the pleasant, albeit odd, feeling of impending doom within her falter. Shooting towards Roasie at full speed, Cabba unleashed one of his most powerful attacks without any hesitation.

"Impulse," He screamed as he delivered the swift upper cut much to Roasie's shock.

Stunned as he hit her another forty times in less than a second, Roasie and her fellow warriors didn't have time to do more than blink before Cabba planted his hands on the ground and delivered a donkey kick to her abdomen, sending her flailing upwards. Appearing behind her out of nowhere, Cabba screamed as he formed a club with his hands, sending her plummeting back to the ground.

"Rush!" He cried out as he fired an energy blast at her plunging body, catching all three pretty warriors of universe 2 in its wake.

Shocked to say the least, disappointed to state the obvious, Sagie watched the young Saiyan pant for just a second before his eyes flickered towards her and he smiled.

"Cabba?" Sagie muttered as he landed beside her. Standing there, transformed into Super Saiyan Two as she had taught him only a few months before was none other than Fasha's progeny.

"Sorry it took so long, Sagie-sama," Cabba didn't look at her as he spoke, but instead watched the recovering members of universe 2. They weren't moving all that fast. "I was busy eliminating a few members of universe 3."

"Man, your timing sucks," Sagie stood up, dusting off her torn loaner gi top. It wouldn't take long for this one to be shredded like her previous one. "Things were just getting fun."

Cabba didn't fight her on that point; instead, he nodded his understanding, "Sorry, Sagie-sama," He didn't actually sound apologetic. "In a tournament like this, we just can't afford to play your suicidal games."

"Who called them suicidal?" Sagie growled, sending the boy an annoyed frown.

Laughing a bit, Cabba replied good-naturedly, "Everyone."

Shrugging as she sank into her own fighting stance, Sagie edged herself closer to Cabba's side, "Why am I not surprised?"

-break-

Panting, body actually seeming to come undone, Goku looked between Kakarot and Bardock feeling a strange sense of pride overcoming him. Fighting two Ascended Super Saiyan, even young ones with limited battle experience, was a lot tougher than he thought it would be. He hadn't been able to get ahead of them yet. And best yet, even if they were from a different universe, these were his sons in a way. He couldn't believe how tough the two were together or how well they strategized with one another. Really, it made him feel optimistic for the future. One day Goten would be a man, and on that day, Goku could only hope, he would fight just as well with his brother as Kakarot and Bardock did.

A scream coming from Kakarot told Goku to concentrate once more. The boy was running straight at him, a Kamehameha Wave forming against his right side. Bardock was somewhere above his head aiming another Kamehameha wave downwards. Goku couldn't be one-hundred percent sure what their plan was with the twin energy waves, but he knew he sure as hell didn't want to be on the receiving end of two of them.

Gritting his teeth, Goku drug all his energy to the surface of his body. His patience had paid off. Skipping Super Saiyan completely, Goku allowed Super Saiyan Two levels of energy to jump to the surface without even letting out a single scream.

Kakarot launched the first Kamehameha Wave, and extending just one hand, Goku caught the energy as it came at him. The heat of it on his palm made his body tingle with excitement. His Saiyan hearing picked up the sound of Bardock releasing the final words of the chant. The energy wave from above came crashing down as Goku raised up two fingers to his head and smirked.

There was a reason he hadn't used Instant Transmission yet.

Appearing behind Bardock in the air, Goku slammed the back of his heel into the boy's neck. Bardock's Kamehameha seemed to evaporate as he plummeted so quickly Kakarot didn't have time to stop his own wave before Bardock hit it. A scream rocked the air as Bardock's body intercepted the wave, burning against the strength of his own brother's energy.

Kakarot immediately stopped the energy flow, the wave dissipated, and he leapt towards his smoking brother, "Bardock!"

Stinging but not out, Bardock started to sit up, ripping off part of his burnt gi-top, but was stopped by Goku's foot connecting with his back. The boy flew towards Kakarot, slamming into him. In a tangle of limbs, the two brothers flew a good twenty feet. But Goku wasn't done.

Egged on by the thrill of the fight, Goku felt energy rushing up within him that he couldn't contain. Like a hyperactive child, he let it flow throughout him until he couldn't stop the next transformation from coming. Super Saiyan Blue overtook his body as he roared at the boys, and using speed alone, he appeared underneath them.

The older and far more powerful Saiyan sent his knee into the mass of arms and legs that made up the living ball of flesh. The two brothers rocketed upwards, Goku transmitted himself again above them, and winding up his body like a baseball player about to throw a pitch, slammed his combined hands into Bardock's exposed back.

Screaming, the boys flew towards the ground, slamming into it in a heap as Goku hovered above them, not flying per say, but coasting on his own energy.

Patiently, he watched as the two boys detangled themselves and turned their eyes upwards. They both looked positively murderous, and in that moment, Goku found his excitement fade slightly as a realization touched him. Of course, Goku had never seen himself in times of great anger. He didn't have mirrors handy during his fights with the various villains that had pissed him off, but he was sure he had never looked at anyone the way those two boys were looking at him.

The hatred in their eyes was palpable and dangerous and reminded him of someone he had known the majority of his adult life.

"It couldn't be—," He whispered just as a third opponent appeared beside Kakarot and Bardock.

Goku's eyes widened as the Piccolo of universe 6 formed a fighting stance next to Kakarot. He looked eerily identical to the Piccolo of his own universe, and for all purpose and pretense, probably was the same exact person, at least as far as DNA and all that was concerned. Sinking down into his own fighting stance, Goku vaguely acknowledged the ounce of fear that ran through him for the tiniest of seconds.

"Not that I'm complaining," He spoke towards the three-man team in front of him. Two Ascended Saiyans and one kick ass Namekian. "But this just got a little unfair."

-break-

High up in the stands, Beerus felt bile rushing up his throat as he stared at the surrounded Goku, "What the hell?" He yelled at no one in particular, "Where is everyone from universe 7?"

"They all appear to be engaged in fights of their own, Beerus-sama."

"Who cares?! Goku's in a three on one fight from hell!" Beerus snarled while looking down at his prized fighter. "Even at Super Saiyan Blue, he doesn't have much hope of taking out three really powerful assholes!"

Biting the tip of one nail, Krillin knew he should agree with the screaming God of Destruction out of nothing more than the need for self-preservation, but he couldn't help contradicting him, "Beerus-sama," He mumbled, turning towards the god who looked at him with fire burning in his eyes.

"What, baldie!?"

Clearing his throat, Krillin actually shook a bit as he tried to form the words in his mind out loud, "Well—um—I don't think you need to worry."

"Why the hell not?"

"I've known Goku a long time and I think," Krillin turned back towards his long time best-friend, "I know what he's trying to do."

Beside Krillin, Tien uncrossed his arms, "You don't think—?"

"I do," Krillin nodded as he looked at Goku's blue hair as it shimmered in the odd lighting of the void. "Maybe its Saiyan genetics or something—I don't know—but since we were kids Goku has always kept fighting even when he's down. And when he does that, he always manages to tap into—something."

Master Roshi nodded, looking at Goku over the rim of his glasses, "Saiyans are like bottomless energy pits."

"Exactly," Krillin nodded sharply at his master, "I think—Beerus-sama," He turned back around to look at the God of Destruction. The cat like creature had grown pensive and didn't look so angry any longer. The thought gave Krillin strength to continue. "That he's trying to do that now against universe 6. He's trying to tap into—something."

"Ultra Instinct," Whis whispered as he tapped a finger that had been resting against his thigh. "He couldn't be trying to break the shell again?" His wise eyes turned towards his younger sister.

Vados wasn't looking at Goku, however, or paying attention to the conversation. Her own ancient eyes were moving rapidly, following the motions of a different fight. Intrigued, Whis changed his attention from Goku to the fight Vados was watching intently. On the opposite side of the ring from Goku and her children was Sagie and Cabba. The two were holding their own against Ribrianne and the other members of universe 2. Sagie herself was already in an ascended form, but hadn't managed to bring Super Saiyan Blue to the surface yet. She must have lost a considerably larger amount of energy than Goku.

Suddenly, Vados' eyes flickered towards Whis, catching his attention. The two siblings made eye contact as the z-fighters and Beerus continued discussing Goku's irresponsible fighting strategy. A silent worry was filling Vados eyes as she looked towards her brother. The other angels around them were aware of it as well. All of their siblings had turned, ignored by the gods and mortals, to look at their brother and sister responsible for universes 7 and 6 respectively.

"Vados?" Whis said her name so softly that the humans and gods weren't bothered enough by the sound to pay attention. The other angels turned away, knowing they would be able to overhear the conversation without drawing attention to it.

Shifting uneasily, Vados pulled her eyes off her brother and looked back towards the fighting arena. Sagie had just managed to jump over Ribrianne's swirling ball form while simultaneously landing a punch directly in Kakunsa's face. Not too far from her, Cabba was holding his own against Roasie's Yacchaina Fist. His young eyes were studying her, learning and adapting quickly to the nature of the attack. It was obvious that the two would win the battle with enough time, but that wasn't what was bothering Vados.

Her eyes flickered towards Goku as he caught Piccolo's extended arm between both of his own and began swinging him in a wide circle, hitting Bardock and Kakarot who didn't dodge in time.

"What if," Her voice hitched in her throat, making Whis' normally stoic face contort a bit, if only for a second. "We're wrong about them?"

Feeling the same trepidation that was currently plaguing his sister, Whis looked up at his father, their father. He could feel his siblings, with the exceptions of the oldest one's who worked for the exempt universes, all inhale as one.

Their father was looking at himself and Vados.

A marked frown lined his face.

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, GCC_

"Now that the kids are asleep," Sagie walked through the door of the GCC's gravity training simulator room, "We can train."

The lights automatically came on from the motion sensor, revealing a perfectly circular room that was the size of a decent living room, perhaps 20x20 wide and a ceiling at least 30 feet up. In the middle, a giant device that reached all the way to the ceiling hovered over the two women.

"I've trained in these a few times," Sagie explained as she approached a console at the base of the machine that appeared to have at least fifty million buttons. "They simulate gravity up to 500 times that of SG, but I've only ever gone to twenty times SG."

"SG?" Chichi muttered, baffled.

"Standard gravity," Sagie answered the incomplete question as she began pressing buttons. "Your planet is classified as a standard gravity planet."

"What is standard gravity?"

"9.8 something meters per a second." She explained absently. These facts had all been beaten into her brain when she first became the Commander and Chief of the Saiyan army. It was vital to understand gravity when assigning soldiers to planet raiding missions. You never want to send a weak soldier to a planet with gravity they can't handle, after all. "The planet I was born on is considered a Moderate Gravity planet, meaning its gravity is ten times that of SG or 98 meters per a second-ish."

Still not completely following what was going on, Chichi glanced over Sagie's shoulders to look at the dial. It read thirty. "And why is all this important?"

"Because our bodies are designed to adapt to stronger or weaker gravity," Sagie finished her calculations and smiled down at the number on the dial. "And the stronger the gravity you train in, the stronger you get as a result."

"How strong is the gravity we're going to train in?" Chichi licked her lips, hoping the fifty didn't mean what she thought it meant.

"Thirty times that of SG." Sagie supplied and pushed the on button.

The pressure of the gravity slamming down into her body made Sagie stumble over her own feet, but the loss of balance only lasted a few seconds. Behind her, Chichi groaned and tried to even straighten herself. She was doubled over and gasping for breath. Thirty times her own Earth's gravity was a bit much for her, Sagie knew, but they couldn't afford to go lower. She only had a month to train herself for a fight with the universe's biggest homicidal maniac, and Chichi had volunteered to help her train, not slow her down.

Finally, Chichi managed to straighten her body, but one of her eyes was closed from the effort of staying up right. Her lips were parted as well, drawing in shaky breathes.

"You should quit," Sagie told the other woman as she sank down, bringing her left leg straight with her right one tucked underneath her so she could stretch. "I appreciate the offer to be my training partner, but I think this is too much of a strain on your human body."

"Nonsense," Chichi managed to say as she tightened her hands into tenacious fists. "Training is pain." She bit out the words and forced her arms upwards. One went across her chest and the other one pressed against it, going up, as she stretched out her shoulders. "The sooner you accept that, the stronger you'll get."

Switching sides, Sagie tilted her head slightly in thought. She couldn't help but like that expression, "Who told you that?"

"Kami-sama." Chichi explained. Her voice was a bit less strained as if her body was beginning to get used to the force. "I trained with him to defeat Piccolo. The Namekian who brought you and Gohan to me." She finished and switched her arms, stretching out the other shoulder.

"I remember him," Sagie stood up, bringing her hands over her head and leaned backwards. She heard a few pops and sighed before lowering her arms. "Was he strong?"

"Not stronger than you, probably," Chichi mimicked Sagie's back stretching, "But by my planet's standards, he was pretty formidable."

"What about yourself?" Sagie shook her whole body once, trying to get every kink out of it she could. "Did your planet consider you strong?"

Lowering her arms, Chichi smirked at the other woman. "My planet declared me the world's strongest about five years ago—right before you showed up with Gohan."

Sagie's left eyebrow twitched with intrigue, "Really?"

Nodding, finally adjusted to the gravity, Chichi lowered herself into a wide fighting stance that her own father had taught her. She formed her hands into twin knifes, and without saying one single word, launched herself at Sagie.

Surprised by the sudden attack, Sagie shoved her weight backwards and out of the way, dodging the first knife like stab to her face. Flying backwards towards the wall, she flipped once, planted her feet on the metal wall, and launched herself forward, fist ready. Her first hit missed Chichi's cheek by a fraction of a millimeter; the second missed by almost an inch, surprising Sagie completely. The third was blocked and followed by a kick that Sagie caught on her arm. And the last one, the forth, Chichi intentionally managed to hit her shoulder so she could use the momentum of the hit to spin all the way around, delivering a hook kick to the side of Sagie's head that the Saiyan female easily blocked nonetheless.

Chichi frowned at the block and used the contact to propel herself backwards. Kicking her feet up and over her head, she placed one hand on the ground to help herself complete the back flip before landing a few feet away from Sagie without even breathing hard.

Sinking down into her fighting stance once more, Chichi inched her back foot a bit to the right, trying to position herself for her next attack.

Sagie, for her part, watched the other woman carefully even as her heart started to pound in her chest in the most delicious way. This woman was far better than Sagie expected. Sure, Sagie knew she could easily take the human female down, but she was still surprisingly capable. And the thought of that made her stomach flip in a way she hadn't felt in years. Ignoring the sensation, Sagie sank down into her own fighting stance, front hand slightly opened, back hand closed at her hip.

The gravity around them continued to shove downwards, and the machine's slight buzzing sound infiltrated their ears vaguely. Time moved in near slow motion as they stared each other down, both looking for a nonexistent opening. Their bodies tensed and untensed, preparing and then sinking back into the waiting period once more.

Sagie's eyebrow ticked upwards and she brought her left foot a fraction of an inch closer to her right, preparing to launch herself at Chichi. Unfortunately, the other woman's sharp eyes picked up on the movement instantly.

With a scream, Chichi ran forward, crossing the short ten-foot distance between them in milliseconds. Not prepared for the Earthling to take the initiative, Sagie didn't react fast enough to the punch coming for her face.

Chichi's punch connected with her cheek, making Sagie's eyes widen. This woman was better than she thought, and that made her stomach practically backflip. Adrenaline rushed through her, desire for battle and something else far more dangerous, telling her to go with the hit. She allowed the punch to turn her face and using that momentum, she lifted her back leg up, cocked it at her hip, heel pointed at Chichi, and sent it flying into Chichi's exposed stomach. The hit made Chichi spit directly in her face before she flew backwards and hit the side of the gravity chamber.

The ship rocked from the hit, and Sagie winced. She hadn't meant to put that much power into the kick.

Coughing on her hands and knees, Chichi tried to regain control of her breathing, but Sagie had hit her directly in the diaphragm before she had time to expel the air from her lungs. Wheezing, she tried to push herself to her feet, lost her balance as a cough came up her throat, and fell back to her hands and knees.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you so hard—guess I got carried away," Sagie vaguely apologized and made her way to the gravity machine to turn it down. She had been right before, Chichi wasn't prepared for this kind of training no matter what she said. "But this proves my point," She opened the covering over the off switch. "Chichi, you can't handle—."

"Stop," Chichi spoke between coughs.

Sagie obeyed the order and lifted her head to look at the human female.

Chichi had already managed to push herself up to one knee and lift her chin to stare Sagie down. Both of her eyes were opened but half lidded, appearing a bit dizzy. Straining, she gritted her teeth, revealing her gums from the strain, and pushed herself up to her feet in one swift motion. She staggered backwards for just a second, hitting the wall with her back, making her flinch. Then, with one shake of her head, she regained control, leaning forward a little, hands coming up to her face.

"Don't you dare," Chichi bit out, eyes narrowing as she resumed her fighting stance. "Underestimate me, Sagie-san."

Blinking, Sagie watched the other woman as she motioned for Sagie to come at her with two fingers of her front hand. This time her stomach, way deep down, full on knotted. A smirk she couldn't hold back formed on her face and she launched herself towards her waiting opponent, loving the way that made her feel.

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	10. Love

**Chapter 10:**

**The Source of Love**

Straightening after throwing Piccolo into Bardock and Kakarot, Goku inhaled deeply. His body was starting to tire in a way he wasn't used to. Normally, he didn't need to take more than half a minute to take down an opponent in Blue, but right now he was nearly two minutes in and his body was starting to protest. His muscles were quivering and spasming the same way they did when he overused Kaio Ken. He could only guess that it had something to do with Ultra Instinct—but he wasn't sure.

Tensing as Kakarot managed to right himself, jumping over the bodies of Piccolo and Bardock, Goku prepared himself for the next assault that was to come. A ferocious battle cry ripped from Kakarot's throat, syncing up with every hit he delivered to Goku's waiting blocks. Jumping backwards away from a particularly well aimed upper cut, Goku swallowed hard as his senses told him to turn around just in time to see Piccolo's leg connect with his back.

Flying towards Kakarot once more, Goku caught a glimpse of a smirk on Kakarot's face that told him he had fallen for something. That fact was confirmed when Kakarot front kicked him. Goku's body went upwards straight towards Bardock's waiting energy attack. Forming an x over his head, the boy practically glowered as he released Piccolo's Masenko attack.

Goku just managed to get his two fingers to his head as he gritted his teeth. Then, using his Instant Transmission, he reappeared behind Piccolo just as the Masenko hit the ring where he had been second before. Not bothering to hesitate, he went straight for his once arch nemesis. Grabbing the unsuspecting man around the middle, he leapt upwards, twisting their bodies around so he could throw him clean across the ring and out of the way.

Piccolo dispatched, Goku leaned back, fists closed and drew as much power to the surface as he possibly could in his current condition, "Kaio," He screamed as the red energy of his best power boost encompassed him, "Ken!"

With the added speed, Goku appeared only seconds later behind Kakarot. The boy didn't have time to move as Goku pressed a ki blasts into his side, allowing it to explode directly against his ribs. Reappearing beside a shocked Bardock, Goku repeated the action, albeit this time to the boy's opposite side, within milliseconds of the first.

Blown away by the power of the direct hits, both men sailed through the air, heading right towards one another. Perfectly timed and angled, they crashed into one another, landing in a heap of glowing hair just as Goku formed above them. Firing as many blasts as he could get out, Goku screamed at the top of his lungs. The muscle fibers in his arms practically snarled as he filled the ground with ki blasts, and finally satisfied, he allowed his Kaio Ken to dissipate before leaping backwards. Landing on a rock outcropping, panting, he watched as the smoke cleared. His eyes flickered to Piccolo who had recovered and was making his way towards the boys. He seemed far more concerned with them than Goku, which suited the Saiyan just fine.

"Man," He panted just to himself, arms shaking, a pained smile on his face. Looking down at one shaky hand, he gulped and chuckled, "I won't be able to do that again."

Having reached the two boys, Piccolo stood in front of them on the defensive as they pulled themselves out of the rubble. Bardock's hair was back to its base form, and he was holding his side where a bit of blood had started to accumulate. Beside him, his brother was in about the same shape, but his blood was dripping from the crown of his head.

"Damn," Kakarot cursed, making it to his feet. "He's so fucking strong."

Just now standing, Bardock nodded and winced from the pain in his side. "And good—he's just good."

"The man has experience and talent," Piccolo told the two boys as he stood protectively in front of them, "To beat him, I think it's time we followed the plan."

"The plan?" Goku wondered out loud across from them, but they ignored his words.

"I didn't want to resort to it this early in the game," Kakarot growled as he reached into the pocket of his still mainly intact pants, producing two earrings that Goku immediately recognized.

_Fusion!_ Goku's entire body tensed.

Up above them, the gods stirred, a microsecond debate seemed to take place on whether or not such a thing should be legal in this competition. And then, as quickly as the debate started, it evaporated into nothing as the Zeno-samas declared it 'cool' and therefore legal.

"Do it!" Champaa yelled from the stands as he slammed a fist down on the railing. "And beat that bastard!"

Looking at Goku as he held out one hand to his brother, Bardock pursed his lips, "Are you sure about this?" He asked even as he accepted the Potara.

Looking down at the matching one in his own grip, Kakarot nodded, "Logistically speaking," He reached up to put the earring on. "It's our best chance."

Following his brother's lead, Bardock attached his own earring. The second it clipped into place, the two boys' bodies moved without their will. Facing each other, the boys screamed, unnerved, as an unknown gravitational force threw the two of them together. A bright light that rivaled the Solar Flare flashed from their combined bodies as they merged together.

As the light dissipated, Goku lowered his arm, looking towards the spot where one entity now stood in place of two. Wearing a Chinese Kung Fu Gi, blond hair spiked up with one bang sweeping the forehead, was a completely new being. He was staring at his hands, the merged facing of Kakarot and Bardock appearing a bit more jagged and rugged than either boy alone.

The face twisted with mirth, a laugh bubbling up in the man's throat as he threw his head backwards in triumph. Sounding nearly hysterical, he screamed and unleashed just a fraction of his power into the air. It swirled up into the sky, broke out above the ring, and flung itself into the void—a bright swirling blue.

"This is amazing!" The strange echoed, combined voice of the two boys made Goku take a slight step back. "What power—what brilliance." He looked straight down at Goku, a smirk lighting on his face that he hadn't inherited from the man before him. "We are Kardock!" The energy around him flared with the reveal of his name. "And there's no way in hell you can beat us!"

And it was then that Goku did something he didn't normally do in a fight, he cursed, loudly, "Fuck."

-break-

Sagie skidded backwards as she felt the power of her children's fusion touch the back of her neck. It was absolutely insane. To think that Bardock and Kakarot fused would produce such awesome power. Shifting her gaze in their direction, hoping to catch sight of the combined bodies, she winced as she caught sight of Cabba out of the corner of her eye instead.

He was flying through the air, eyes closed in pain, heading right towards the edge of the ring. Rushing towards the boy, frantically trying to reach him, Sagie felt her mouth drop in horror as the last person in any universe she ever wanted to see appeared.

Catching Cabba's foot seconds before the boy flew over the edge of the ring, eliminating him, Vegeta growled, "Idiot!" He yelled and threw Cabba none to delicately back into the ring. "Where's your Saiyan pride? To be eliminated by a fucking butterfly."

"Vegeta-sama!" Cabba cried out thankful for the Saiyan's Prince's assistance.

Feeling her whole face turn red, Sagie swallowed hard, "-sama?" She spat out the word disgusted.

"Thank you for your assistance," Cabba bowed slightly before resuming his fighting stance.

"Whatever." Vegeta glanced towards Sagie then, sending her a look that was a cross between irritation and guilt. "Sagie."

Pulling a face, Sagie straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest as well, "Vegeta." Her blue hair shone brightly as she turned back towards her opponent who was standing, dumbfounded, watching the exchange.

"What an odd emotion I feel from you two," Ribrianne looked between Sagie and Vegeta as if trying to put something together. "Hate that came fro—."

"Don't you dare say another word!" Sagie snapped before Ribrianne could even come close to releasing the thought. "You don't know shit about me or that short bastard!"

"Watch yourself woman!" Vegeta nearly spit as she spoke, eyes practically on fire.

Spitting to her side intentionally, Sagie ignored the threat in his voice and sent back one of her own, "Don't get in my way, Vegeta."

Finally succumbing to the irritation that had been building in him since the start of the tournament, Vegeta popped his neck, a vein sticking out of his head, "Have you forgotten how many times," He bit out the words, "I saved your ass!"

"Really? Last time I checked," Sagie sank into her fighting stance, addressing Vegeta without really looking at him, "I saved your ass a lot more than you ever saved mine!" The words barely left her mouth before she shot off towards Ribrianne once more, hand pulled back by her head, energy gathering in the knuckles as she prepared to send a punch towards the warrior of love's head.

Resisting the urge to follow the woman and beat the shit out of her, Vegeta looked towards Cabba's opponent, a petite woman in a baggy shirtdress, who was starting to circle them, break over. Spitting himself, he popped his neck, sank down in a fighting stance, and glanced at Cabba out of the corner of his eye, "You were struggling against her?"

Embarrassed to be called out by someone he truly respected, Cabba tried to save face as he matched Vegeta's stance, "She's quite skilled, Vegeta-sama."

"I'll be the judge of that." Vegeta snarled before rushing the woman.

-break-

Goku's head snapped to the side so violently that he was sure one of his vertebrae ruptured in his neck. Sailing inches above the ring, he didn't have time to make even a sound before Kardock's knee sank into his stomach. His eyes bugged out of his head, spit and blood flew from his mouth, and his eye sight blurred from the force of it.

Jumping up off of him, Kardock laughed nearly hysterically as he jumped from one foot to the other, completely and utterly entertained, "Come on, old man, time to get up!" He taunted Goku who was struggling to breath let alone sit up.

Pushing himself, Goku felt the muscles in his arms protest violently, but he stilled managed to bring himself to one knee. Looking between his bangs, he watched the boy continue to jump back and forth as he sent repeat punches with his right hand into his left palm.

"I know its naptime for you," The boy flipped over his own head, landing in a fighting stance. "But I just don't have time to wait for you to get your afternoon fifteen."

Goku pushed himself into a standing position. One more good hit and he knew he was out. He wouldn't be able to maintain even Super Saiyan if this kid got him again. His body was too worn down.

The smirk on the boy's face turned into a devil grin, "I hate to do this to you, but I think its best if I just put you to bed for the night." He shot forward at those words, fist cocked and ready.

Fully prepared for the hit, Goku inhaled, edged his foot forward, and then gasped as the fist planted in his stomach. He hadn't seen it coming. His feet came up and off the ground. He flew backwards, body doubled in on itself, and slammed into a rock wall that led to another that led to another. Everything blurred around him as pain exploded up and down his back, but still, he hung onto consciousness.

"Not yet," He spoke, but he wasn't sure if any words actually came out from his throat. Shaking, he opened his eyes, watching as Kardock walked towards him slowly, head on. The boy didn't look worried at all anymore. "Sit up," Goku spoke just to himself, willing his body to move. It didn't obey, "Come on!"

"Still awake?" Kardock muttered as he came to stand in front of Goku. "Impressive—you've got resilience. How very—Saiyan."

Needing to buy some time, Goku nodded his head, "You're a pure blooded Saiyan, right?"

Cocky, Kardock crossed his arms over his chest, "Yeah, what of it?"

"I'm a pure blood too, born on Vegeta-sei," He spoke calmly as he sorted out his options, trying to make a plan, "I don't remember much about it though."

"So what?" Kardock leaned forward, placing his hands on his hips, "You may have been born there, may even be pure, but we're in completely different classes at this point."

"Classes? I don't know much about those," Goku fed into the words as a plan took shape in his mind. Pulling one hand just out of Kardock's sight, making it look as if he was using it to brace a pain, he began to gather energy, "But I've been told I'm the son of a third-class warrior."

"Really?" Kardock actually looked horrified, "How pathetic!"

"I know," Goku agreed, using every second he had to collect power in his hidden palm. "What about you? What class is your mother?"

"Sagie?" Kardock's head fell back as he let out a laugh that didn't come from Goku's side of the family what-so-ever (if there even was a Goku side in Kardock's life, anyway). "She is the highest of all Saiyan classes as was my father," His head snapped and looked down the bridge of his nose at Goku, "I am the son of two Elite-Class Warriors!"

"Impressive," Goku acknowledged, licking his lips. He would only get one shot at what he was about to do; he had to make it count. "But in my experience," He looked the boy dead in the eye, "Saiyans got that whole class thing wrong."

Kardock raised an eyebrow, not processing exactly what was going on with the other man, "Huh?"

"Class doesn't mean a thing!" Letting a roar rip from his throat, Goku sprang to his feet and fired the ki blast right in Kardock's face.

-break-

Sagie ducked out of the way of Kakunsa's claws as Ribrianne's ball attack came right towards her. Having just seconds to spare, she jumped up, tucking both knees under her. Kakunsa took the opportunity to swing for Sagie's head once more, but the woman had already dropped her weight back down, landing flat on her back to get away from the attack. Then, placing her hands, palms flat on the ground beside her head, she kipped up, using the momentum of the recovery move to throw a punch at the beast girl's face.

Kakunsa dodged and in a sweep of claws caught Sagie's cheek, slashing it opened. Ignoring the sting and the splattering of blood, Sagie threw a wide hook punch into the opening Kakunsa's slash made, catching the girl on the cheek as well. But unlike Kakunsa, her punch packed a hell of a lot more power.

The beast girl's feet came up off the ground, sending her spiraling out of control to Sagie's left. Swinging around, her powerful Saiyan hearing telling her Ribrianne was coming back, Sagie didn't have time to react before Ribrianne's ball form collided with her. Pain ripped through her body as she was flung into the air, slammed into the ground, and was run over by the hysterically laughing female warrior. Immediately, Ribrianne threw her body up and off of Sagie, repositioning herself so that she was facing downwards.

"Get ready Dark Warrior!" Ribrianne screamed down at Sagie, "Here I—!"

She never finished the sentence.

Vegeta slammed a foot into the side of Ribrianne's face, squishing it and sending her flailing into a series of nearby rocks. Wiping his nose as he landed, eyes still on Ribrianne who was already digging her way out of the rubble, he briefly glanced towards Sagie.

Pissed off, the female Saiyan snarled as she sprang to her feet, "Why the fuck did you interfere?" She screamed at him, hands clutched into fists, "The kid's one thing, but I'm another." She stomped towards him, the anger coming off of her in tangible waves, "And I don't fucking need you!"

The vein on Vegeta's forehead practically popped as he growled violently at the woman, "I've been very patient with you, woman! Letting you yell at me, belittle me, and overall be a fucking bitch to me," Vegeta snapped at the female Saiyan. "What more can I do to make you let this go?"

"You know what you can do, asshole," Swinging herself around, completely ignoring Ribrianne and Kakunsa, Sagie fired back.

Energy began to swell around her, catching Vegeta off guard. Heat, red and fiery, was starting to swallow up her body, causing her to glow. Her eyes shifted between black and red. Her golden hair flickered with the same red color as well.

Stepping back, recognizing the coloration from Sagie's earlier transformation into whatever the hell it was, Vegeta gritted his teeth.

"Die," Sagie turned away from their opponents, completely ignoring universe two as she sent a punch right for Vegeta's face. "Just fucking die!"

"Um?" Ribrianne lifted one questioning finger as she and her teammates helplessly watched the exchange.

Dodging the hit, Vegeta returned one of his own. It connected with her cheek, but she didn't even appear to feel it. Winding up a huge swing, she slammed it into the side of Vegeta's temple. His whole body made a complete 360 degree rotation, coming up and off of his feet, but he didn't let the motion hinder him. Instead, he used it to his advantage, swinging around with it until he was facing her again.

"Damn it!" He threw in her face as their fists connected, sending sparks flying outwards as the energy that had consumed Sagie earlier began to resurface. "Sagie, what the hell are you going!?" He fought against her, arms straining as the punches turned into clasped hands. "Did you forget where we are?"

"Did you forget what you did?" She hurled the words back at him as she leaned away and then shot her head forward. The headbutt connected, blood springing from both their heads.

"Are we missing something?" Kakunsa asked Ribrianne on the side lines, but the team leader of universe 2 could only shrug.

"Sagie-sama!" Cabba yelled, rushing between the two. He caught Sagie's next punch in his hand, using all the power and energy control he had to keep her from yanking the hand from his grip, "Wait just a second." He felt his muscles strain as she threw another hit with her free hand. Catching it, just barely, his arms shook as he tried to control her, "Sagie-sama, what's going on? Why are you attacking Vegeta-sama!?"

Watching the struggle, Vegeta's eyebrows twitched from the words, anger making way for guilt. The sad truth of it was that she had every right to do what she was doing now. Still, it wasn't the time nor the place.

"Get the hell out of my way, Cabba!" Sagie yanked one of her hands free, pulled it across her face, touched it to her opposite ear, and sent it in the form of a back fist into the side of Cabba's head. It caught the boy on his temple, sending him flying to Sagie's right. And, with him out of the way, Sagie went right back for Vegeta once more.

Shaking his head as he tried to get the dizziness to ease, Cabba lifted himself up, watching Sagie and Vegeta kick and punch each other in a downright brawl. Shakily, he pushed himself to his feet, trying to think of anything he could do to get Sagie to stop her full out, knock down assault on Vegeta but it seemed impossible. The woman was nearly foaming at the mouth, and Vegeta, for some strange reason, was half-way taking it.

The red energy around her body was glowing, red and hot, fiery. The blond was making way for a blood red color and the golden aura was completely gone, eaten by that same color. It was happening again—she was changing again—and he had no idea why.

-break-

Unaware of the events on the other side of the ring, Goku ran as fast as he could to get away from the screaming Kardock. He had only managed to blind the man long enough to put some distance between them. That was the extent of his plan, really. Now that he was a good twenty feet away, he had no idea what to do next. His body was failing. Power was becoming harder and harder to gather. And Kardock was insanely strong. He had little to no hope of being able to take the kid on for much longer—unless—

Turning on a dime, Goku skidded to a halt and looked back at his opponent. Kardock had recovered already and was headed straight towards him. His eyes were furious. His face was a bit red, but none worse for wear. Goku hadn't even really put a dent in him with that hit. Kardock's next punch connected with Goku's face hard enough to crack bone. The older Saiyan's legs came up off the ground and his feet went over his head. A pulse ran through his body that was familiar and warm.

Almost, he thought to himself as Kardock came underneath him.

The younger man planted a kick in his back that threw him into the sky, reappeared above him, and hit him with a knee to the stomach. Plummeting to the ground, consciousness starting to wane, Goku blinked. The colors of the void just barely registered in his head.

And that was when he heard her.

The nearby cry of Sagie's voice touched his hearing, and something in him quieted. Her voice was ripping through the void and the desperation, the despair, the fury in it, caught the attention of his very soul.

He crashed into the ground, smoke swam up around his body into the air, masking him. Body crushed, every nerve in pain, he laid their watching the colors of the void as they fluttered, appearing between the dust and dirt. His body pulsed; a need ran in him. It was an old need that he had had as long as he could remember: the need to protect.

Pushing himself up without being aware that he was moving, his eyes fell closed. His mind went blank. Above him, Kardock laughed and the sound made a switch in his brain turn on.

"Come on, old m—," Spit flung out of Kardock's mouth as Goku's fist punch connected with his stomach. Flipping end over end, the fused brothers gapped at the black-haired man in front of them. "What the hell?"

Eyes stilled closed, Goku tested one finger. It moved against his palm, no pain, no tensing of muscles or spasms, and lifting his head, he revealed two brilliant gray eyes.

-break-

Up in the stands, Belmod growled low under his breath. He had seen Goku up close at the preview held for the Zeno's, so he had known what to expect. But he hadn't been prepared for the other one, the woman. Gritting his teeth so hard they should have shattered, he whipped his head around to look at the laughing Beerus and chanting Champa. The two cat brothers were way too damn cocky, and it pissed him off to no end.

Snapping his head back around, he searched the ring until his eyes lighted on the person he needed. The leader of the pride troopers was in the middle of blocking a series of attacks from a robot creature from universe 3. He didn't appear to be struggling even though Belmod knew he was suppressing his power, continuing to hide his true nature.

"_Toppo_," He spoke using nothing more than telepathy.

Instantly, Toppo sent the robot to the other side of the ring by using a simple swing of his overly large hands. Then, straightening, he stood silently, indicating without words that he had heard the voice.

"_Deal with her_," Belmod ordered cryptically.

Nodding his confirmation, Toppo glanced across the ring. He had felt the swell of the woman's power. It was a dangerous swell, coming from an equally dangerous woman. Getting his eye on Sagie, he frowned darkly as she shrieked into the air, viciously attacking a man that he vaguely registered was from her own universe.

"How—vile," He muttered to himself and shook his head. "To attack your own comrades—inexcusable."

Saddened by the fact, he inhaled deeply, accessing the situation. He could control her easily. She was wild, out of control, making her oddly very predictable. Still, it would be far easier if he could simply step into the limelight. Out in the open, he would be able to use his power to the fullest, and as a result, he could take her down in seconds. However, such an action came with consequences for his team.

Turning his attention to his commander, he asked for the permission he wanted part of him realizing it would not be granted this early in the game, "_Should I reveal myself fully?_"

"_No!_" Belmod gritted his teeth. He had to be calculating now. It was too early to put their ace on the table for everyone to see. With this much time remaining, it would be best to stay as low as possible. Really, it would be best to not show this hand at all if it could be avoided. "_Be as discreet as possible_." He instructed his prized, secret weapon, "_Don't reveal yourself no matter what—but deal with her. Take her down as inconspicuously as possible, understand?_"

"Yes, sir!" Toppo acknowledged on the tournament floor; it wouldn't do to argue.

-break-

Sagie slammed her fist into Vegeta's right cheek, sending him reeling head over feet across the tournament floor. Not to be easily beaten, he righted himself nearly instantly, throwing his legs together to change the direction of his momentum. Spinning in a quick circle, he managed to get his head above his legs and land in a wide horse stance. Eyes darting upwards as he continued sliding back from the combined force of his own landing and her hit, Vegeta quickly assessed the situation.

The other Saiyan was already headed towards her. The red in her hair shown brightly and the aura that was swelling around her was fluctuating violently. One of her hands came up by her head, an energy ball formed in it, and for the first time, Vegeta saw her eyes in this state. Her pupils and irises were both bright, hot red. They were held in narrowed eyes that were practically slited with rage. Her forehead was wrinkled with it as well, and her teeth were even red from small bits of electricity that seemed to gather from the friction created by how tightly she clenched them together.

Snarling, she appeared almost instantaneously in front of his face, shoving the gathered red energy forward. Instinctively, Vegeta raised up his hands forming an x, so as to catch the hit on his forearms rather than his face. It exploded upon contact, sending his body backwards, but, surprisingly, he didn't raise up off the ground. It took him a second to long to realize that was intentional on her part.

Smirking, glad to have kept him so close, one of Sagie's hands snaked out, grabbing his wrist in a grip that felt like steal on his skin. Then, swinging her body around, back facing his chest, she slipped an arm behind his back, lifted him up off the ground over her head, and slammed him downwards.

The tournament floor broke apart from the impact of his back and spit flew from his mouth. Not stopping for anything, Sagie released one of her hands, keeping the other clutched on his wrist, and threw her weight forward once more. Her knee connected with his exposed hips, and Vegeta let out a shocked scream from the pain of it.

"Sagie-sama!" Cabba shrieked from the sight, horrified that she had turned on the man so abruptly. Kakarot and Bardock had told him that the two didn't play well together when he had come to Earth to recruit them with Vados, but he had thought the two were exaggerating.

Apparently, they weren't.

Holding Vegeta down with one hand on his wrist and her knee planted firmly in his side, Sagie felt her whole body shake violently. On the edge of her hearing, she thought she heard someone yell her name, but she wasn't sure. All she was sure of was that Vegeta, the bastard who had tried to kill her children, kill Chichi, was underneath her immobilized.

_"Kill."_

The word vibrated up her spine and she snarled. Pulling a hand back, collecting deadly energy within it, she screamed, eyes looking down at the man she had known her whole life. The world slowed down then, not because she regretted moving or because she put together what she had did or because she had a moment of clarity.

It was because he was looking back at her. His eyes were blue, different from the eyes she remembered. They were looking back at her, but there wasn't panic in them or even fear. There was something else that was lucky for him and devastating for her.

Disappointment—?

Regret—?

Lo—

Sagie jumped off of Vegeta, springing away from him like a cat who has noticed a snake underneath it. The power in her body began to burn. The red was eating her alive; at least, that was what it felt like. Screaming, she brought two hands up to grab her head, sinking her fingers into her hair, clawing at the roots as she tried to find some semblance of control in the chaos of her mind.

_"Not now."_

The voice ate at her, but she couldn't find it in herself to truly listen. Gritting her teeth so hard one of them actually cracked, she snapped her head upwards. She needed an outlet; she needed to redirect; she needed those fucking anime girls.

Eyes latching onto Kakunsa who was staring helplessly on the sidelines, Sagie shot, moving like a bullet towards the beast woman. Her howl ripped from her throat as she pulled her hand back to her head. Tears that she couldn't explain sprang from her eyes. Veins stuck out of her neck and her arms and her forehead as she slammed her fist directly into the beast girl's face.

Kakunsa didn't have time to move. The hit cracked her nose sending the cartilage backwards into her nasal cavity. Desperate to breath, she opened her mouth in a half scream, but Sagie was already moving again.

Jumping above Kakunsa's head, she brought both palms together, aimed them down, and fired twin energy blasts directly at the woman. They exploded against Kakunsa's head; the shock of them immobilizing her completely. Then, appearing beside the girl, she kicked her square in the back, sending her flying over the edge of the ring.

Not waiting to hear the announcement of elimination, she appeared within seconds in front of the horrified face of Rozie. The woman tried to move her hands, but she didn't stand a chance. Sagie slammed her opened hand into Rozie's face, covering it nearly completely with her left hand. Tightening her grip, she brought her other hand straight up in an upper cut aimed for Rozie's diaphragm. Spit, vomit maybe, poured onto Sagie's hand, but she ignored it as she let go of the terrified face. Swinging her body around, she brought one elbow up, parallel to the ground. Then, pivoting on her heel, she aimed the elbow straight towards the side of Rozie's face.

Unable to react to the impossibly quick motions, Rozie only had time to let out the briefest of screams before it made contact. Sagie's elbow hit, cracking Rozie's cheek bone as it sent the woman flying across the edge of the ring with her friend.

Body shaking, Sagie caught sight of Cabba out of the corner of her eye. The boy was looking at her as if she were a monster, but her brain didn't process the look. She was beyond that now.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end in a way she couldn't explain. An old instinct left over from the ancient Saiyans ran up her arms into her brain, telling her that danger was close and she wasn't capable of dealing with it.

The instinct was right. No one saw the hit to the back of her head that lifted her up and off her feet into the air. They didn't see the hit that followed either. It sent her reeling towards the edge of the ring as consciousness began to slip away from the impact of the chop to the back of her neck.

"Sagie-sama!"

She heard the voice, but her brain didn't process it until she felt Cabba's hands on her back, throwing her into the ring, "Cabb—a?" She whispered she lost consciousness completely.

-break-

Vados didn't realize she was standing until she felt Whis' hand on her shoulder. It squeezed lightly and then guided her back into her seat. Lowering herself down, obeying the purposeful command, she stared openly at her fighter, confusion making the blood in her ears rush. Feeling warm and a little sick, she bit the inside of her cheek, trying to process what the hell she was seeing.

There was something wrong, very, very wrong with Sagie, but she had no idea why. With all her expertise and all of her years training and searching for the right person, she had never thought that she would fail to identify them when the time came. But now, she felt the red, hot rush of failure sweeping over her.

"_It's not time to panic yet_."

Her brother's voice playing in her own mind didn't make her so much as flinch. Without taking her eyes off of Sagie's reddish hair, she inhaled deeply.

"_How can it not be?"_ Vados replied, barely managing to maintain her stoicism. How Whis was sitting there so nonchalantly was beyond her. If they were wrong, he was in just as much trouble as her. "_Her power is that of a God of Destruction and it shouldn't be_."

Whis shifted on the long stadium style bench, but didn't let out so much as a sigh, "_I know that_."

"_Whis_," Vados looked towards Goku with the black hair streaked with grey, then towards Sagie with the black hair streaked with red. "_This isn't going according to plan_."

_"I know that as well."_

Turning to look at her brother, face forward, Vados' eyes sad things that her lips never would be able to, "_What if we're wrong?"_

Whis didn't reply. They both knew what happened if they were wrong.

-break-

Kardock allowed his energy to soar around him as he stood opposite of Goku. Both of them were standing on rock outcroppings, their power rushing and swelling up into the air. His red and Goku's a brilliant whitish blue.

"Is that all the power you've got!" He screamed at Goku who looked at him with cool, collected eyes.

"Power?" Goku spoke slowly, deliberately, in a way that none of the z-fighters had ever heard from him. "This isn't all the power I have," He told Kardock as he allowed his energy to dissipate in the air, bringing it instead back into his body, walled off for him to use. "But it is all the power I need to beat you."

Furious, Kardock cut off his power as well, dropping into a fighting stance with a snarl, "How dare you underestimate me!?"

Jumping off the outcropping with so much force that it crumbled underneath him, Kardock held a hand back fully prepared to connect it with Goku's face. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know what he was truly dealing with. Slipping out of the way of the hit, allowing it to just barely miss him by the fraction of a centimeter, Goku aimed a fist into Kardock's exposed ribs. The hit sent Kardock flying upwards, but the boy easily recovered, flipped so he was facing down, and hurled himself towards the waiting Goku.

Appearing bored, Goku blinked and looked up at him. Jumping out of the way with ease, he allowed Kardock to slam his hand into his own outcropping. It shattered underneath the force of the hit, giant pieces of debris scattered, and Goku continued moving backwards away from it, using the momentum of his dodge to sail backwards, further out of the way.

Viciously snarling, Kardock redirected himself, following the older man with a hunger in his eyes that was pure Saiyan. Not appearing in the least bit worried, Goku flipped his legs over his head, redirecting himself so he was plummeting to the ground. Kardock followed him, as planned, their bodies soon falling to the ground facing each other. Without a single change in his expression, Goku flipped again, stopping his falling momentum in an instant. Surprised by the man's control of his body, Kardock tried to follow suit only to blink and miss Goku's next move.

Using Instant Transmission, Goku appeared suddenly behind Kardock, kicking the boy right in the back and slamming him into the rock's he was facing.

Furious, Kardock corrected himself within seconds, flying from the rock debris, ready to fight back, but Goku was much to fast. Dodging the boy's hit by ducking underneath it, Goku reappeared behind him, formed a club with his hands and slammed it into Kardock's head. Plummeting downwards with a scream, Kardock slammed into the ground a few feet away from where Goku landed seconds later.

_Why?_ Goku asked himself as he looked down at his hand in confusion.

Kardock was already standing up again, appearing completely unaffected by the _powerful_ hits Goku had gotten in.

"Is that all you got?!" Kardock shrieked, throwing himself back into the fray.

Barely lifting his head to acknowledge the boy, Goku moved instinctively, dodging his every hit as he tried to work out what was happening to his body. Taking an opening that he saw, Goku aimed a side kick to Kardock's rib, sending him flying backwards into another rock wall. Just as before, he noticed the same problem resurface again. Kardock leapt back to his feet within seconds, unfazed by the hit.

_Why didn't it hurt him?_ Goku asked himself as he tightened his grip. _I can't hurt him?_

"Shit," Kardock eyed Goku for a moment before leaping upwards onto a rock outcropping they hadn't destroyed. "You're a fast sucker, huh?" He yelled down at the other man, "Then I guess we'll have to end this another way!" Forming an x over his chest, Kardock smiled nearly sadistically, reminding Goku vaguely of someone he knew. Energy immediately formed in his arms and along his fingers, "As much as I hate it," He yelled down at Goku as he ripped his hands apart, spreading them wide. The energy in them immediately changed as well, forming small, round bombs of power, "I'll borrow Ma's technique for you! Rote Explosion!"

Slapping his palms together, Kardock sent the millions of ki blasts towards Goku on the ground. Not even raising an eyebrow, Goku's body moved. Side stepping, jumping, swinging around, backflipping, cartwheeling. In seconds, he dodged all of them, much to the ongoing irritation of Kardock.

"Bastard!" He screamed, drawing even more energy into his crossed arms for the next batch.

Watching them forming, Goku searched his brain for an answer to his own conundrum. He knew if he attacked physically, he wouldn't do enough damage. His body wasn't reacting for whatever reason, but—

Moving instinctively, Goku didn't even have to think to dodge Kardock's next series of ki blasts.

—he could dodge without thought or even hesitation.

Narrowing his eyes, Goku jumped into the air, placing his hands on his left hip, palm facing palm.

"Finally, gonna react?" Kardock laughed mockingly, arms already crossed and gathering energy, "Bring it on!"

"Ka—," Goku screamed as he ran forward towards the next wave of energy blasts. Body moving without thinking, he dodged each one, ducking underneath it, sliding away from it, letting it pass just underneath his arm or leg. "Me," The energy at his side charged up further, "Hame!"

Up above him, Kardock let a roar rip from his throat, "Don't count on that working against me!" He screamed as he changed tactics completely. Throwing his hands up above his head, borrowing a technic from an old friend, his eyes flashed wild, raging blue, "Masenko!"

Below him, unhindered, Goku's body spun in a perfect 360 degree circle, midair, allowing the blast to go underneath him. Debris exploded as it made contact with the ground, and using that to his advantage, Goku flipped, landing on a piece of it, "Hame," He screamed, throwing himself up into the air right towards Kardock.

"Bad idea!" Kardock screamed as he pulled back his weight, hands dropping to his side, and sucked air into his lungs. In his middle, he felt the swirl of energy that rested their, waiting to be unleashed, and throwing his weight back forward, fired it from his mouth towards Goku's exposed body.

Not hindered in the least, Goku kicked his feet over his head, slid the Kamehameha on the energy beam no more than two feet, and then aimed his hands right for Kardock's face.

"Ha!"

The attack hit Kardock dead on, sending the boy flying backwards, shock apparent on his humiliated face.

"No!" The combined voices screamed as the Potara on their ears shattered separating them.

-break-

Landing, exhausted, Goku didn't even realize when Ultra Instinct fled his body. Looking up at the stands, he watched as Bardock fell into the awaiting seats, landing in a giant heap. The Grand Priest announced the elimination in his normal, oddly calm, voice, and Goku sighed with some relief. Straightening, holding onto a stitch in his side, Goku waited for Kakarot's elimination to be announced with mixed emotions. Although he was relieved that he was safe and his universe, incidently, was safe as well, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. After all, those two boys had been impressive, beyond powerful, and very much his own children.

Coughing a bit, Goku knitted his eyebrows together. It had been maybe twenty seconds since Bardock's elimination was annouced and not a word on Kakarot. The boy hadn't appeared in the stands either. Bardock was there, looking shell-shocked and horrified as Champa screamed at him, but Kakarot was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he?" Goku whispered just as he saw Bardock lift up his head.

The boy looked passed him, the expression on his face exhausted but somehow proud.

Swinging around, Goku's jaw dropped opened as he saw Piccolo holding Kakarot's battered body, "How is that possible?"

Piccolo lifted his head, eyeing Goku with scrutiny that was unbefitting of him, "Brotherly love, perhaps?" He spoke plainly before jumping away, disappearing in the chaos of the tournament floor.

Loosing his battle against standing, Goku fell to his hands and knees and panted as he tried to gather his thoughts. Vaguely, he ran over the events of barely a minute ago in his head. He had watched the boys as his Kamehameha wave hit them, of course. And he had kept his eye on them as they went over the edge. His vision had started to blur the second he realized they were about to be eliminated, but he had still seen the slightest of motion. A leg drawing back.

Goku smirked as he put two and two together, "Well, damn."

"Son Goku!"

Turning, Goku smiled faintly at Eighteen as she rushed towards him, her brother not far behind.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her concern something Goku found a bit strange given the circumstances of her creation, but then again, she was his best friend's wife.

"Yeah—," Goku rubbed the back of his head with a laugh, "I'm fine."

Landing beside her, Seventeen frowned and glanced towards the stands, "That was quite the battle. That boy was inexperienced but talented."

Following Seventeen's gaze, Goku nodded his agreement. He had only been able to partially see what Bardock had done. Still, he knew how impressive it was and how difficult it had been to time and think out in a matter of less than seconds. Goku hadn't figured the brash boy would possess the patience and foresight to come up with such a hurried plan. But, in the millisecond after the Potara had shattered, separating the two brothers, Bardock had kicked Kakarot as hard as he could in the back, sending the boy upwards where Piccolo could grab him with his extended arms.

It had saved him from elimination, but Bardock was sacrificed in the process.

"He was inexperienced," Goku gulped slightly as pride wafted through him, "But—he was strong," He looked up at the boy who was now looking back.

Their faces were identical, but there were so many differences between them that the similarities ended there. At least, that was what Goku had thought as he fought the boy who had to be his son in a different universe. Now—he thought different. The boy had changed his initial opinion in only a millisecond.

"Reminds me of myself."

"Did you get hit in the head too hard?" Eighteen grumbled, "From what I heard coming out of his mouth, its safe to say you and him are nothing alike."

Mouth breaking into a wide smile, Goku couldn't help but agree, "He did have a mouth on him, didn't he?"

Glancing around for any signs of danger, Seventeen clicked his tongue calmly, "We'll stay with you a bit," He told Goku absentmindedly, "Until you've recovered some strength."

Smile faltering momentarily, Goku didn't bother to protest. He knew his body was in no shape to fight again so soon, "Thanks, Seventeen. I'm glad you're on our side this time."

A playful expression crossed the android's face, but his voice stayed monotone as he replied, "As you should be."

"Seventeen," Eighteen chastised with a drawn-out sigh.

"What?" The brother argued voice still benign. "I'm just being honest."

Smiling at the siblings, Goku felt a tingling of power on the back of his neck and turned to face it. In the distance, he could see an explosion of energy just now dying out, but he couldn't make out who it came from, "What's going on over there?"

"The female Saiyan is taking on some weird Magical Girl of Love from universe 2." Eighteen sounded clearly irritated as she spoke.

"Female?" Something in Goku sparked for the vaguest of seconds. "Sagie?"

"Is that her name?" Seventeen hummed, voice even and uninterested.

"She's had quite the time trying to fend them off."

"Really?" Goku straightened suddenly filled with the urge to go there, to watch as the other warrior fought. "Let's take a look."

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, GCC_

Sagie wiped the sweat from her face with a spare rag as she sat at a table in the CGG's small kitchen. There wasn't much in the room that was located underneath the Gravity Simulator. A refrigerator, a stove, a sink, a few cabinets, and a microwave. Truthfully, it was designed for accommodating two people, but right now it was basically accommodating a small family unit.

Standing at the stove, hovering over a pot, Chichi stirred gingerly while humming under her breath. Over the past two weeks, she had gotten undeniably stronger. Somehow, against every odd, she had managed to at least keep up with Sagie's training. They had even upped the gravity to sixty-five times SG just yesterday, and not once had Chichi complained or fought against it. She merely continued pushing herself, forcing her body to keep up with a full blooded Saiyan's. It was insane and had landed her in a Regeneration Tank twice in the two-week time frame.

Sagie couldn't help but be impressed by her tenacity, but if the woman was being truthful with herself, she did find one other thing about Chichi even more impressive but also irritating.

"Okaa-san," Bardock yanked at the woman's apron string gently, an action that no normal Saiyan child would have perfected at only two and a half. "I hungry."

"When's dinner gonna be ready?" Kakarot added from his position beside the human woman. He was on his tiptoes looking at the pot she was stirring eagerly.

"Going to." Chichi gingerly corrected as she reached for one of the stove's nobs and lowered the heat under the pot.

Kakarot narrowed his eyes and lowered his body back down as he crossed his arms, "When's dinner going to be ready?" He corrected himself although in a curt voice.

Chichi immediately turned a sharp eye towards the boy who dropped his arms in response and also adjusted his face to be more neutral. Smiling in response, Chichi dropped a hand down to muse the boy's spiky hair affectionately, making Kakarot smile, "Ten more minutes."

Vaguely understanding time, Bardock stomped one foot impatiently, "I hungry now!"

"You'll just have to be patient." The human woman scooted the two boys backwards with the palm of one hand and lowered herself down to look in the stove's door.

Bardock let a whine leave his throat that would have made any Saiyan mother beat the crap out of him, but Chichi merely turned towards him and raised an eyebrow critically, "Little boys who whine and don't let Okaa-san cook, don't get food."

The noise immediately stopped. Bardock understood the threat well and knew that Chichi would carry it out too. He had learned that the hard way.

"Now what do you say?"

"Sorry," The response was instant.

Nodding pleased, Chichi turned her attention briefly back to the oven. She studied whatever was inside without opening the oven's door and then rose, "You two go play in the bedroom," She directed as she moved towards the refrigerator to collect something, "I'll call you when its ready. And no fighting games!"

The boys looked at her about to protest, but one more glare from the woman made them relent.

"I'll read you that book we got on Wasser-sei." Grabbing his little brother by the hand, Kakarot started off towards the small door that led to the bedroom Chichi and the boys had been sharing. Sagie had taken to sleeping on the floor in the gravity room.

Still sitting silently at the kitchen table, the tea in front of her that Chichi had poured untouched, Sagie blinked as she watched her children leave the room, chattering about the book Chichi had found in Standard Language. Sagie couldn't fathom how Chichi had managed to tame two very young Saiyan children. Even female Saiyans had trouble dealing with the often stubborn and violent toddlers of their race, but Chichi seemed to have no problems. Vaguely, Sagie wondered if her own strength had helped her beat them into submission, but somehow, she doubted that.

Over the past few weeks, she had noticed something about the other woman that she appreciated. Simply put, Chichi didn't take shit from anyone. You crossed her, and she put you in your place so fast you got dizzy. You made a comment she didn't like, and she yelled at you until you cowered in fear. You hit her, and she hit you back twice as hard. She was a feisty thing, and that trait had probably contributed to her success with the boys.

Still, Sagie couldn't help but feel a wave of abnormal jealousy while watching her with the children. Shifting her weight to one side, she leaned forward, arms crossed and braced against the table, "You've done a good job with them." She spoke without really thinking.

Chichi paused midway through putting some sort of vegetable into a pot to boil. Back still turned from Sagie, the woman took a second to process what she had said before replying, "I'm sure you would have done better."

Looking down at the cup of tea Chichi had made her after she finished her shower, Sagie pursed her lips and uncrossed her arms, "I highly doubt that."

Chichi didn't comment as she placed the pot on the stove and turned on the back burner.

Leaning her chin on the palm of her hand, Sagie's body tensed. The jealousy in her grew just a fraction. In the past two weeks, it had been made bitterly apparent that her children viewed her as a stranger. Bardock seemed almost scared of her at times, and Kakarot was weary at best. She had known when she abandoned them that this would happen, but to live it first hand was entirely different. She hated to admit it, but the indifference and fear her children displayed towards her was painful.

Lowering her hand back to the table, Sagie draped one arm over the back of her chair and looked up at the ceiling, "I don't think I was really cut out to parent."

"I always wanted to be a mom," Chichi spoke, back still turned.

Curious, Sagie looked back towards Chichi, examining the woman's back. Chichi was tensing as she worked, but it wasn't from her movements, "How old are you?"

Chichi glanced at Sagie over her shoulder, eyes a bit wide, "Twenty-five."

Nodding, surprised the woman was that old, Sagie narrowed her gaze. She had Kakarot when she was eighteen, to think Chichi had been twenty-two with no children when Sagie arrived on Earth with Kakarot was strange to say the least, "Why didn't you pair off with a male and have children if you wanted them so badly?"

Slowly, Chichi turned around, back braced against the counter. She was dressed in her normal fighting clothes. A long kung fu style dress with baggy pants underneath. A white apron, like a house wife's covered it, the frilliness of the additional garment somehow fitting. Reaching up one of her delicate but surprisingly strong hands, she fiddled with her hair. She had left it down because it was wet from showering. The moisture in it was gently wetting the top of the apron and the little bit of exposed color from the clothes underneath.

Sagie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I guess," Chichi looked towards the bedroom door. They could hear the boys laughing at the children's book. Something about a mouse that is infinitely chased by a cat. "I just never met the right man." Her hand fell away from her hair. "There were options but," Chichi blanched as she thought of the options that had been available to her on Earth. They had all been great friends, but none of them had been husband material; well, at least not for her. "They just weren't—good enough."

"Good enough?" Sagie's mind went to the man who had fathered her children, but as quickly as he appeared in her mind, she shoved him away. It wouldn't do to think of a dead asshole, "Were they inferior?"

Chichi's eyes widened and she brought both of her hands up in front of her waving adamant palms, "No—no—nothing like that. They were just so—," Her black eyes finally looked straight at Sagie and the words stopped dead in her throat as she did. The room grew silent. Chichi's mouth parted slightly, pink moist lips glistening in the artificial light. "Normal," The word sounded loud in the small space.

Something in Sagie's stomach twisted in the most pleasant way she had ever known, and for the first time, she was able to admit what the sensation was if only to herself: attraction.

"I wanted something more—someone more. Someone who could make me feel weak and strong at the same time. But, there just wasn't someone like that on my pl—," Chichi didn't finish the sentence; she couldn't when Sagie's eyes narrowed, the irises matching the pupils as they grew darker, deadly. A shiver overtook her smaller body and the look of her trembling made the female Saiyan stand from her chair.

It scrapped against the ground and clattered a bit when it hit the wall. The palms of Sagie's hands fell onto the table, flat as she stared at the other woman. For a split second, she thought she could hear the human woman's heart starting to pound, and it made her entire body light on fire. Gulping, Sagie pushed away from the table, straightening. Chichi shifted, bracing her hands on the counter with her back still pressed against it. Her lips parted and her tongue snaked out to wet them. Sagie took one step to her right, fully prepared to make a move.

The timer on the rice maker beeped.

Both women jumped nearly out of their skin as the moment burst apart, crumbling into nothing. The eye contact between them broke. Sagie plopped down in her chair once more, and Chichi turned back towards the stove. The shiver became nothing more than a forgotten moment in time as two Saiyan boys rushed from the bedroom and clambered into seats beside Sagie. Looking down at her children who were anxiously watching Chichi open the oven to remove some type of alien bird that was big enough for at least fifteen humans, Sagie bit the inside of her cheek.

"Ma, you're so lucky!" Kakarot spoke and the inclusion of her in his world made Sagie's skin warm a fraction. It was the first time in two weeks Kakarot had directly addressed her. "Okaa-san's rice bowls are the best!"

"Okaa-san rice bowl!" Bardock chanted as he bounced in his seat.

Glancing towards Chichi's back, Sagie watched as the woman used the rice paddle to put a ton of rice into the four bowls in front of her. She was used to Saiyans and always made enough food, but today looked like even more than normal. She had to have made a whole twenty-pound bag of rice. Plus, the chicken smelled sweet and salty at the same time, a tantalizing scent for a Saiyan nose.

Chuckling to herself, Sagie wondered if this was actually how Chichi won the boys over. Food went a long way with Saiyans of all ages.

Sagie leaned her elbow on the table and turned her attention back to her children. Bardock who she didn't really know at all and Kakarot who she had raised for the first five years of his life. The years he wouldn't really remember as an adult.

And, in a moment of curiosity lined with hope, she asked her next question in Saiyan, "Warum magst du Okaa-san's Reis Schussel?"

"Weil sie are really lecker," The child responded in half Saiyan, half Standard Language. "Okaa-san arbeit hard to make reis gut!"

Sagie blinked rapidly. And, unable to handle the emotion that filled her, she finally reached for her tea, swallowing it down in one gulp.

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	11. Weight

**Chapter 11:**

**The Weight of Love**

Sagie lifted her head up from the ground feeling dizzy and confused. Looking left and right, she tried to process what had happened. Vegeta was a good fifty feet away from her, fighting some unknown man that she couldn't process at the moment. He was tall, wearing red and black, and his hands were huge. On the edge of her hearing, she caught the Grand Priest announcing the elimination of Ribrianne's two followers, making her smile faintly.

Cabba must have won his battle with Roasie, she thought, and taken down the freaky beast chick at the same time. That left only the most annoying of the three, Ribrianne, for them to take out before they set their sights on the male members of Ribrianne's team, but for right now, she was pretty sure she shouldn't move.

"What are you?"

Sagie opened her eyes and turned her head towards the sound of Ribrianne's voice. In the epicenter of some clearing smoke, much to Sagie's surprise, was a no longer transformed Ribrianne. She was back to her tiny, petite form, looking insignificant. Wiping a bit of dirt from her chin, the small green haired woman didn't bother to stand up from her spot, legs sprawled behind her on the ground, but she did speak.

"You really are evil," She whispered and her untransformed face, burnt and slightly blackened, looked furious. "A demon."

"Demon?" Sagie laughed slightly to herself, pushing herself up with aching hands until she was sitting up on the ground. "I've been called worse." Growling, she forced herself back to her feet, knowing that she couldn't show any sign of weakness in front of this devil-spawn.

Ribrianne chuckled and glanced up to her eliminated team members in the stands. "Either way," She spoke slowly, "This is your lucky day, Dark Warrior of Universe 6."

Becoming exasperated, Sagie grimaced. Her head was starting to pound. The headache from earlier was overtaking her senses and this woman's idiocy was making it worse, "When will you get it through your thick, green haired skull," She brought one hand up to her head, trying to hold in the migraine dancing against her temple, "This is not a manga."

"No! It isn't!" Ribrianne screamed angrily. "This is the weight of love falling upon my beautiful shoulders!"

"Give me two seconds," Sagie started to take a step forward, "And I'll—shit!" She actually screamed as she felt something snake up her leg entangling her.

"Got you." Ribrianne smiled sadistically. "Big armor attack!"

Sagie tried to struggle as the pink rope ran its way up her body until it reached her neck, transforming into a heart that swallowed her whole.

"Great love is binding." Ribrianne told her as she continued to hold the rope like energy attack in place under the ground. "You can't escape my love now."

"Everybody—," A voice cried out from above in the stands, "Use this!"

Sagie raised an eyebrow as Kakunsa from universe 2 gave the directive to her team. Twisting to face them, Sagie's eyes widened as they held up what looked like the wands she had seen in the Magical Girl manga's Bardock read.

Jaw falling opened, Sagie tried to wrap her mind around what she was seeing, "Is their universe," She sweat dropped and quirked an eyebrow, "Really a manga?"

Suddenly, Ribrianne began to glow on the ground. The slight shimmering catching Sagie's attention.

"This is everybody's love? Thank you." Ribrianne spoke sweetly from the bottom of her heart. The glow was just now starting to fill her whole body, making her face, arms, hands, torso, and legs glow in soothing light. "I can feel everyone's love burning." She continued to speak softly as she leaned her head back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Love is enveloping my body."

Raising a shaky eyebrow, Sagie grimaced, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Love is wonderful." She whispered as the glow completely overtook her body, lifting her up and off the ground as it grew and grew in size until it morphed into a gigantic pink heart.

The heart hovered over the ring for only a few seconds before Ribrianne took shape from it. Her body, a thousand times bigger than before filled nearly the entirety of the ring. Wings lined her back, like a butterfly, and a new dress adorned her body, pink and yellow as well as giant white bloomers.

Feeling absolutely dazed and confused, Sagie couldn't do anything except shake her head, "That is just downright ridiculous."

"So long as love exists in the world I can fight." The gigantic Ribrianne spoke evenly, but due to her size the sound ripped through the void. "I can fight for love." She opened her eyes and smiled brightly, "Love will save the universe." She looked down at Sagie, hatred in her eyes, "This is the end for you Dark Warrior."

Sagie felt a strange sort of helplessness start to overtake her. It was a feeling she could honestly say she had never experienced before in her life. But then—just as quickly as it came—something filled it up that she hadn't been expecting.

_"Sagie-san?"_

A soft voice, sweet, melodic, and filled with unmistakable love rang in the air all around it. It was so loud that she thought it was real for a second. She could have sworn it was there and that the person who said her name that way was there.

_"Sagie-san—you will be careful, won't you?"_

Gulping, Sagie blinked back what might have been a tear. Memories flashed in front of her mind that she kept hidden in the most private part of her. No one knew of them except the person who lived in them. Bardock and Kakarot both probably didn't even know, suspect maybe, but there was no way they could know for certain—never.

_"You know how I worry about you—someone has to, right?"_

"Fist of love," Ribrianne pulled back one of her gigantic, yellow-gloved hands, unaware of the memories running rampant in Sagie's mind.

_"And—I—um—when all of this is over, the tournament—."_

The voice seemed to be whispering right in Sagie's ear, just as it had in reality right before Vados whisked them away to the world of the void.

_"Do you think—you and I—could we finally—?"_

Sagie's eyes snapped opened as rage filled her entire body. Screaming at the top of her lungs, forcing her energy outwards, the yellow coloration of Super Saiyan flew throughout her aura. Her hair spiked up a bit further. The yellow color dominated it, highlighting it as her eyes turned blue, darkening with strength she thought was lost to her. How she had accessed this energy after taking on the power of a God of Destruction not moments before was impossible to understand.

Overwhelmed by the energy of a Super Saiyan, the Big Armor attack's heart broke into a million fragments before literally disintegrating.

In the stands, the people of universe 2 sat dumbfounded by the sheer amount of energy that was suddenly coming off of Sagie in waves. Up above her Ribrianne's face contorted with her own shock, but she didn't halt her attack. Her fist continued to sail downwards towards Sagie who was readying her own, pathetically small by comparison, fist.

The two connected. The shockwave actually sent other warriors flying, helpless. Sagie's feet sunk into the ring from the force of Ribrianne's combined power and weight, cracking the supposedly dense and strong material.

"Why!" Ribrianne yelled down at Sagie's dwarfed body as the two struggled to maintain dominance, "How can one without love have so much power?"

"How can someone so big," Sagie screamed up towards Ribrainne, "Have such a small brain?!"

Bringing her other hand back, Sagie drew all the power she had to the surface and then forced it into her fist. The energy shimmered, spasmed, and shook as she let a roar rip from her throat before sending it into Ribrianne's fist. Instantly, Rihrianne's hand ruptured as it was thrown backwards. Bending at the knees, throwing herself as high into the air as she could, Sagie borrowed her next attach without any guilt.

"Ka—me!" She screamed the first two syllables as she brought her hands to her side, the action catching everyone from universe 7 and, shockingly, 6 off guard. "Hame," The energy turned bright, blue, blinding and hot. "Hame," It grew in size, shoved between her hands tightly as she flew high above the giant Ribrianne's head, "Ha!"

The blasts exploded from her hands, big enough to take down an entire solar system. Ribrianne's final screech filled the void as she was blown backwards, gigantic feet going up and over her head as well as the edge of the ring into the void.

-break-

Standing nearby, observing as he regained some of his power, Goku felt a smile overtake his face as he watched Sagie. The energy from her Kamehameha dissipated, and she lowered her arms. The aura of the Super Saiyan seemed to sparkle once brightly before slipping off her body. She was panting, obviously exhausted, but he couldn't help but feel impressed by her. He had seen a lot of impossible comebacks in his life. Hell, he had been the main participant in most of them, but to see her body, completely drained, gain access to Super Saiyan once more showed a lot of talent and inner strength.

"She's good," Goku commented as he watched her collapse to one knee.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Eighteen studied the recovering woman with a critical eye, "She used your technique." The android stated the obvious even though the very mention of it created a very complex conundrum.

"So did her sons," Seventeen added to his sister's statement mildly. "Seems that she is very similar to someone from our own timeline."

"Huh?" Goku pointed at himself and tilted his head to the side, "You mean me?"

Smiling faintly, Seventeen grunted, "Who else?"

"She is the one difference between their universe and our own," Eighteen began to speculate. "It seems only logical that you two would have a connection."

"The question is," Seventeen continued on, narrowing his eyes darkly, "Is the connection the obvious one or not?"

Shaking his head slightly at the conversation, Goku was about to weigh his own two cents worth when something caught his eye. Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, three men surrounded Sagie, forming a triangle with a fifteen-foot radius around her kneeling body. She was watching them closely as she continued to pant, considering it had been at least 30 seconds or so since she had untransformed, the fact she was still panting spoke volumes to her physical condition.

Instantly, Goku's body seemed to pulse, instinct driving him. Fist clutching at his side, he twisted to look at Seventeen and Eighteen, "We have to help her!"

Both androids glanced at one another, "Why?"

"Because," Goku motioned towards Sagie who had gotten the will to stand but was wavering on tired legs, "She's defenseless."

"She's the enemy." Seventeen told him bluntly in response.

Goku tightened his fists at his sides. The androids were right. She was their enemy. They had no reason to go after her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that their reaction was wrong. He knew it was deep, down inside of himself. This woman—she had to be protected at all cost, and he had no idea why he felt that way. He really didn't. It wasn't the same feeling he got with Chichi or the same one he had for his sons or even for his friends. Something else inside of him that he couldn't even begin to comprehend told him to go to her, to fight for her, to protect her.

"Sorry," He told the two androids as he rushed forward despite the sounds of their protest.

Even he realized that his actions made absolutely no sense. He was weakened himself from his battle with her sons, one of which he had just eliminated. Going in to help her after defeating Bardock, in a debilitated state, was stupid at best. But he couldn't help it. His feet moved before he actually could comprehend the action.

Landing in front of her, already sunk down in his fighting stance, Goku eyed the one opponent he could see in front of him. The other two, due to the triangle, were out of his visual sensing range. Still, he knew that Eighteen and Seventeen would be sure to keep an eye on them now that he was here. They understood the state of his body; they would be fools themselves not to give him some backup.

Behind him, shaking a bit, Sagie narrowed her gaze suspiciously at the Saiyan from universe 7, "What are you doing?"

"Helping you," Goku addressed her without looking at her.

Raising an eyebrow as she looked at the outline of Goku's hair carefully, Sagie felt her heart clench, memories of a different man with similar unruly hair unnerving her, "I don't need your help."

"I know," Goku told her as he edged his feet further apart. "But—that doesn't mean I can't give it, right?"

Sagie's eyes widened a bit, narrowed, and grew annoyed, "Dear lord," She shook her head a bit and jumped towards him. Landing just beside him with her stance facing the opposite way so they were back to back, she glanced at their opponents, "You better be useful."

Laughing, Goku tensed slightly, eyes staring at the man right in front of them, "I'll try my best."

-break-

"What is Goku doing?" Tien blinked all three eyes at the man on the tournament floor beside Sagie. "He's helping the enemy."

Pursing his lips, glasses reflecting the light of the attacks, Master Roshi frowned, "She may be the enemy—but she is also someone I believe Goku admires."

"Admires?" Krillin muttered and turned to his master.

"She is formidable." Master Roshi continued on. "Her power is on scale with his own—he probably feels a connection to her of some sort."

"There probably is a connection of some sort," Beerus grunted, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "They are from parallel universes. It's highly likely that the difference between the two universes lies in them."

"But what is the connection?"

"Siblings maybe?" Tien tried. "She could be Goku's sister in that universe—or something similar."

"Maybe," Master Roshi whispered, a very different inclining in his head telling him otherwise.

Suddenly, Vados appeared along with Bardock, a grumbling Champa, and the Kais of universe 6. She smiled as she sat down beside her brother. Her cheerful voice was warm, "If our universes are conspiring," She bowed her head slightly to Whis who returned the gesture with a bow of his own, "We should sit together, no?"

With one, unseen, colluding glance Whis agreed, "Good idea, sister."

"Like I would want to be even a hair closer to Beerus!" Champa complained but sat next to his brother who looked just as displeased.

The kais followed suit, not seeming bothered as they greeted the Elder Kai and Shin respectfully. And, last but not least, an awkward looking Bardock plopped down on the same bench a few feet away from Krillin, Tien, and Master Roshi.

The group went silent as they studied Goku and Sagie. The two were tag teaming rather well, pushing back the male members of universe 2 with surprising efficiency. Behind them, the androids were following suit. Eighteen and Seventeen were easily pushing back the yardrat despite the alien's amazing use of Instinct Transmission. Even an amateur could realize that universe 7 and 6 had universe 2 on the run. It wouldn't be long before the panic of potential defeat made them sloppy.

Trying to pay attention to the fight, but utterly distracted by the presence of Bardock, Krillin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Goku's profile met his gaze as did his hairline. The two were remarkably alike, which made sense if Bardock was the equivalent of Goten from the other universe. Goten looked exactly like his father, so it seemed logical that Bardock did as well. Still, when he had been fighting, the similarities had been only physical. Now that Krillin could see Bardock sitting, adrenaline under control, he looked even more like Goku. His posture was a bit slouched and haphazard. His face had a natural, albeit slight, smile on it, and his eyes were opened up, kind.

And that brought up the universal question that had been plaguing everyone since the tournament's start: How was this kid connected to their Goku?

"Um—excuse me," Krillin worked up the courage to speak to the boy. "Bardock-san?"

The boy didn't respond. He only continued to track the fights with his eyes.

Clearing his throat, Krillin decided to try again, "Bardock-san?"

Still no response—.

"Boy," Master Roshi poked the boy lightly in the side, "Pay attention! Krillin keeps calling you!"

Jumping, Bardock looked straight towards Master Roshi, surprise clearly written on his face. He blinked a few times, glanced towards Krillin, and then blushed. A shy expression crossed his face that hadn't been there the entirety of the tournament. "Sorry, Krillin-san," Smiling lopsidedly, he brought one finger up to scratch at his cheek absently.

"It's okay, Bardock-san."

Lifting an eyebrow, the younger man seemed to fill in a blank from Krillin's words, "I'm not used to you calling me—um—Bardock—," He glanced towards his mother on the tournament floor, "In my universe, you call me Goten."

Shocked, the bald man pointed at himself, "You know me?"

Bardock nodded his head, "I know all of you." He looked towards Tien and Master Roshi, "You're friends with my mother."

This surprised Tien who leaned towards the boy, "We know Sagie-san in your universe?"

Flinching, Bardock half-smiled, half-frowned, "I wasn't—never mind." He shook his head, "It doesn't matter." Turning his attention towards the fight, he quickly changed the subject, "I've known all of you since the day I was born practically."

"If that's the case," Tien spoke bluntly but with a respectful tone, "Then why aren't we here fighting for your universe?"

"Cabba only needed a few spaces filled when he showed up on Earth looking for us." Bardock shrugged, "So—it was pretty easy to just go with the Saiyans." He glanced towards Tien and Master Roshi, trying to word his next thought carefully, "We decided it was best not to—bring anyone out of retirement."

Growling, Master Roshi wished he had his cane, "I should hit you for that, son!"

Laughing good-naturedly, Bardock rubbed the back of his head briefly in the most familiar way, "Krillin-san's wife just had a baby," He looked down at Krillin, "That's why you're not here from my universe. Judging by your appearance and Eighteen-san, I guess Mirin wasn't an issue?"

"No," Krillin filled in as he tried to process this information, "She's old enough to leave alone in our universe." Blinking, Krillin thought that his own answer was strange. In their universe, Mirin was currently with Goten—and Trunks of course. It was awkward to realize that this man was, apparently, Goten as an adult.

"Really?" Bardock leaned backwards, propping himself up by placing his elbows on the raised seat behind him. "Our universes are similar and different all at the same time, huh?"

"I guess so," Krillin acknowledged while eyeing the boy's nonchalance. Other questions collected on his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. It would be far too awkward to blurt out, _do you know Goku_, to a boy he felt he really had never met.

In the end, Krillin didn't have to.

"That man," Bardock questioned as he pushed himself forward, placing one elbow on his knee so he could rest his chin in the palm of his hand comfortably, "His name's Son Goku, right?"

"Yeah."

Bardock looked down at his mother and the strange man who were ducking and weaving, doing their best to dodge and counter with skill he just didn't have yet, "Was he born on Vegeta-sei?" The question caught the z-fighters off guard.

"Yes, but from what we can gather, he was sent off planet as an infant," Master Roshi managed to answer, being the most collected, surprisingly. "Frieza destroyed it almost immediately after."

Bardock turned towards the old master, lifting his chin off a surprised hand. "But he was already born?" He spoke more to himself than to them. Growing somehow pensive, an expression that they had seen on Goku's face only a handful of times in a fight, Bardock's eyes turned back to his mother, "Similar," He muttered and brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it, "And different."

Looking towards Master Roshi and Tien, Krillin paused only a few brief seconds to get the go ahead from them before he asked Bardock his next question, "Um—can I ask one more question?"

Coming back to himself, Bardock dropped his hand from his chin, "I don't see why not."

Gulping, Krillin prepared himself for the potential negative ramifications of what he was about to ask, "Have you ever met Goku in your universe?

No malice appeared on Bardock's face. He tilted his head to the side and looked out across the expanse of ring and shook his head, "To my knowledge—no. I've never met Goku before." He filled in and then shifted almost awkwardly, "But—he looks like someone I've never personally met, just heard about."

"Really?" Krillin, Tien, and Master Roshi leaned forward, not realizing that the other people around them who had been silent throughout the conversation had grown pensive as well, especially the two angels.

"He died before I was born," Bardock crossed his arms over his chest. "But—he supposedly looked exactly like me according to Ma."

"Who?" Master Roshi pressed the boy.

Looking at the master out of the corner of his eye, Bardock smiled faintly, "My Opa."

The three humans exchanged an awkward glance. The word was obviously Saiyan, a language none of them spoke at all. Clearing his throat, Krillin, fulfilling his rule as group ambassador, managed to ask for clarification, "What's an opa?"

"Ano," Bardock looked up and to the right trying to remember the word for it in standard language. His eyebrows drew tight as he struggled to find the right translation. There were some words in Saiyan that he had honestly never asked for the translation into Standard Language. This was one of those words, "I think it's—like an Ojii-san?" He dropped his chin back down and rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. "To be honest, I'm not really sure exactly how we're related, but I'm pretty sure he was my mother's brother."

Sitting side by side, out of the eye line of the conversation, Whis and Vados looked towards each other worry etched on their face.

"His uncle?" Vados mouthed to Whis who turned a little bit white in response. "That can't be right."

Whis felt some of his composure slipping from the very thought. If there had once been a man in universe 6 who looked like Goku—was a version of Goku—then they were in big trouble.

-break-

Skidding to a halt beside Goku, Sagie smirked. Out in front of them was Zirloin just barely pulling himself up from the dust that had consumed his body when Son Goku had, for a split second, transformed into Blue and crushed him with a kick to the back. Even though Zirloin was a decent opponent with surprisingly strong hits and speed, he was no match for Blue. Unfortunately, Son Goku's initial burst of power had been just that, a burst. There was no way he could push that much energy to the surface again.

Beside her, Goku panted a bit. He was feeling pretty damn tired at this point and going Blue, even for a second, had required more effort than he cared to admit. Bringing up his arm where one sweat band still rested, he wiped some of the sweat from his cheek. There was a bruise forming there, but he was pretty sure it was from Kardock, not Zirloin. Zirloin wasn't strong enough to do that much damage to his steel body.

Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, Sagie tried to catch her own breath, "You're pretty good for a male," She growled at him, but the sound was good natured.

Chuckling, Goku knew better than to respond with the same sentiment. He was pretty dumb at times, but he wasn't moronic, "Do Saiyan women not think much of men?"

Sagie popped her neck and turned her attention towards Zirloin. He was staring at them without moving. Something was going on in that head of his, something cunning, "Don't you remember your mother?" Sagie grunted, "She probably beat the shit out of you and called you a chauvinistic pig at the same time—its what Saiyan women do. Got to keep you boys in check."

Watching Zirloin with the same absent intensity, Goku bit the inside of his cheek, unobservable to her, "I don't really remember much about her, so I wouldn't know."

Turning towards Goku, a bit surprised, Sagie tried to put together what she was missing, "What do you mean?"

"Well—," Goku tensed, Zirloin was getting ready to move, "Get ready."

Sagie snapped her attention back towards Zirloin, but she couldn't let his words go. Looking at Son Goku out of the corner of her eye, Sagie allowed herself to take in the familiar profile of his face. He looked different in this universe. His eyes were wide opened, honest and kind. There weren't any scars from battles or tension lines around his mouth and forehead. He was an entirely different person from the one she had known with this face.

An explosion sounded nearby, a blast from another fight. Zirloin took that opportunity to throw himself backwards, landing high above them. Appearing almost out of nowhere, two of the other males of universe two landed beside them, the three forming a dangerous triangle of energy.

Narrowing her gaze, Sagie immediately tried to find the androids. They were supposed to be in charge of taking on these two guys. Her eyes swept the ring, trusting in Son Goku to keep his eyes peeled on them. She found Eighteen in seconds, but was surprised by the woman's clothing. There were tiny holes lining her sleeves, almost like gun shots. Taking a second too long to watch the androids, Sagie put together the problem in only a few seconds.

As Eighteen jumped out of the way of a hit, Sagie caught sight of the tiny blasts: sniper.

Shit, she thought as Seventeen went by, ducking and dodging the Yardrat fighter. Both androids were out of commission, taking on opponents.

"They must have jumped in, so these two could join Zirloin!" Goku grumbled in front of her, drawing her attention back to the fight at hand. "We'll have to be careful."

"Don't have to tell me," She grunted loudly as she licked her lips calculating.

High above them on the out cropping, Zirloin finally screamed down at them, "No matter how many times we fall," He opened his hands wide to indicate the other two men on his left and right sides, "We'll just keep getting back up again!"

"We can hear the voices of the people," Zaburto, the oldest of the three, added as he closed his eyes, hearing his people far away in their universe, "Cheering on our victory."

Blinking dryly, Sagie grunted, "I think that's a hallucination."

"Sagie!" Goku chastised her without even thinking.

"What?" She whipped around to look at him, dumbstruck, "Do you hear anything? 'Cause I sure don't!"

Goku couldn't argue with that.

"What we bear," The last of the three, a tiny man with blue and red skin named Rabanra, cried out, "Are the hopes of every person in universe 2"

"It's heavy—," The old Zurbuto whispered for just a second as his body was dragged down by the emotion, "But this weight is also love!"

Clutching a fist, the gigantic Zirloin turned to his companions, "Let's turn this heavy love," He jumped down, flipping in the air. Landing in front of Sagie, he growled towards her just as Zurbuto landed in front of Goku, and Rabanra landed behind them both, "Into power!"

"Love!" They all three screamed and the ground underneath them crumbled, "Love!" It came again, the ground sinking underneath the weight. "Love!" The last combined scream filled the air as the three men began to transform.

"Formation! Zirloin—!"

"That's it!" Mimicking rolling up a sleeve, Sagie stepped forward fully prepared to end them before the transformation even began to take effect, "I'm going to—."

"No," Goku cut her off with a hand in front of her body, stopping her, "Let them power up."

Swinging her whole body around to glare at the male Saiyan, Sagie snarled, "Why?"

"Formation! Ra—ban—ra!"

Not wavering, used to violent outburst from women (Chichi—Bulma—Eighteen on occasion), Goku shook his head at her, not wavering, "Because it wouldn't be fair or very nice for that matter."

"Formation! Zur-zur—Zurbuto!"

"Are you some kind of After School Special?" Sagie brought a hand up to rub at her head, "You're worse than Bardock," She yanked at a strand of her hair violently but didn't dare rip it out. Saiyans only got one head of hair after all, "Both of you are the stupidest people—."

"Sending love! The happiness of all—Zirloin!" Zirloin's body shimmered one last time and the clothes of Ribrianne formed on his body, pink dress with green trim and all.

Jumping in front of him in a sparkly, blue glow, Rabanra finished his own transformation, "The howl of the wild! The roar of love—Rabanra!" A black body suit with a tutu like fringe at the waist appeared on his body.

"With dreams and magic," The last of the three jumped in front of Zirloin and Rabanra, purple glow and all, "The strike of love—Zarbuto." He appeared in the yellow and purple ninja outfit that had once belonged to Rozie.

"Transformation complete!"

Sagie managed to keep her composure for a grand total of two seconds before bursting into laughter, "I take it back!" She shrieked with laughter, holding her stomach. "I take it back!" Her whole body shook with hysterics, "They're stupider!"

Shaking his head beside her, Goku frowned, "That's pretty mean, Sagie."

Barely containing her laughter, Sagie wiped an actual tear from her eye, "How can you not laugh at that?" She threw a hand in their direction, waving it frantically, "They look like deranged Fairy Princesses."

Infuriated, Zirloin pointed an angry finger at Sagie, "Your luck ends here, evil doers!"

Finally gaining control of herself, Sagie sank in a fighting stance and shook her head, "Fine!" She called towards them, "Why don't you go ahead and take me out!"

Shaking his head, Goku placed his back to Sagie's as he tried to figure out what these three would do with their power.

"Be prepared," The three began to glow once more as they looked towards the two evil doers, "To face this love raised to the ultimate!"

Springing away from Goku and Sagie, the three glared down at them, energy already beginning to overtake their bodies.

"What—?" Sagie tensed. The hairs on the back of her neck were raising up, indicating a strong opponent was near.

Narrowing his own gaze, Goku tensed as well, the same sensation on his own neck, "That energy—its—."

"Take this! All that we have!"

Zirloin's goofy head piece, the same as its predecessor, twitched on his head as black hairs began to form around their bodies, "Let this emotion," He screamed into the void, the sound of his voice echoing violently. Rabanra and Zarbuto raised up their hands, pink hearts forming in their palms, "Reach you!"

All three sailed into the air, facing the hearts towards each other. They turned black, electricity of the same color flying away from their bodies.

"Love!"

They screamed as the hearts flew towards each other, dancing upwards in their air only to combine into a massive black heart that took up the entirety of the sky.

The wind picked up. Sagie's hair blew about her face, and she blinked actually impressed, "To think those idiots could make something that powerful."

On the edge of her hearing, Sagie caught just the end of the commentary from the God of Destruction for Universe 2, "Love that is too heavy can at times bind and torture."

The words resounded in her heart, making Sagie feel sick to her stomach. Memories that seemed to be from a life time ago hit her straight in the back like a stun gun.

"Those who have mastered love and control its weight can unleash that beautiful hidden technique of ruin!"

"Pretty Black Hole!" The three men called into the void before slamming their hands forward, sending the attack straight for Sagie and Goku.

-break-

"Did you see," Whis whispered towards his sister as they watch the attack crash downwards, "The look on her face?"

Vados' whole expression went taunt before slipping into utter sympathy as she put two and two together, "Sagie-san—."

-break-

"What the hell?" Sagie growled out as her body was practically flattened to the ground.

Beside her Goku growled as well while attempting to stand. "Damn," He cursed and just managed to lift his head to look up.

Through the blur of black, he could make out the three-man team that was going to crush them under the weight of the most ridiculous attack he had seen since he watched the Ginyu force pose for the first time. Pulling his hands to the side, he inhaled deeply through his nose, he prepared to form the first syllables of his kamehameha wave.

"Ka—me—," He drug out the sound as the familiar warm energy swirled around his hands. "Hame—hame," The energy swelled as he channeled it down his arms into his waiting palms. "Ha!" He screamed as he twisted his hands upwards to launch the energy into the sky. The beam made it all of three feet before twisting, glowing, and then being eaten by the black hole of a heart that was going to eliminate them.

"Well," Sagie growled out. "At least we know that won't work."

Above them, the three temporarily transgendered warriors laughed with absolute bliss at the pathetic attempt, "You can't mess with the weight of love!"

"God," Sagie groaned at the diatribe above them. "I'm really getting sick of them."

Goku winced under the weight but couldn't help but agree. He didn't know much above love. Love wasn't something he often talked or thought about. Hell, he preferred guts to love any day. It was why he loved Chichi, really. She was the gutsiest person he had ever met. She wasn't afraid of anything, especially him. That was the reason he had married her when she showed up out of nowhere at the tournament. To do that, he had realized then, had taken a hell of a lot of guts. He had been intrigued by that—had fallen in love with that. He wasn't sure if that was how love was supposed to work or not, but it worked for him and for her so he didn't care.

Forcing himself to a semi-standing position, back still hunched, he tried to compose his body. He was exhausted from the stress of fighting and Ultra Instinct, but he wasn't down for the count yet.

"I may not know much about love," He spoke just under his breath, talking to himself more than anyone else. "Hell, there's only one woman in the universe that would even have me."

On the ground, kneeling with one hand resting on her knee, Sagie glanced up at him. His words had sunk into her skin, into the nerve endings in her arms, and then up her body. A sense of knowing stabbed her in the stomach, and she grew dizzy.

Clutching his hands at his sides, Goku roared, "To be honest, I prefer guts to love any day!" The energy of Super Saiyan Blue rushed through him, but it wasn't enough to do more than just stand up against the gravity.

Above them, the three morons screamed as a collective. The energy of their attack slammed Goku back to his knees despite his blue form, "See that!" They yelled at Goku's collapsed form. "Your love is insignificant—you can't fight against—."

"Shut the fuck up!" Sagie shoved herself to her feet, straightening by pure will alone.

Zirloin snapped his jaw shut.

Goku turned to look at her, the blue aura making her appear hazy, but he could still see the telltale signs of something taking over her. That strange red glow, the one that had encompassed her earlier, was starting to spread over her body again.

"I'm sick and tired of your universe going on and on about love. You talk like you're in on some fucking mystical secret," Her eyes flashed red as her power began to grow around her. "Love this and love that! But you know what I think," She let out a wail as she gathered energy all around her, the black hole shifting as it was pushed back slightly by the heat of her body. "I think you don't know shit about love!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Goku's mouth dropped opened as her red energy engulfed them both, eating away at the black. He felt it tingle against his skin, but it wasn't painful. It was the exact opposite, he realized, eyes going wide. It was giving him strength.

"Love shouldn't be painful!" Her voice grew to a howl, the rage in her whole body seeming to swell out of every pore. "It shouldn't torture you or weigh you down!"

Tears pricked at the edge of her eyes as events from her own life swirled in a mist about her brain. She could see the man who fathered her children at the forefront. The love she had once known with him had been binding. It had weighed her down, stopped her from doing what she wanted to do, from fighting how she wanted to fight—and then—it had warped even further. It had bound her, gaged her, restrained every part of her.

That love had nearly destroyed her. But—

_"Sagie-san."_

—the voice that had called to her through the fog he had left her in had been sweet. She had been sweet. The one time she tasted her—she had overwhelmed her senses, filling her with emotions she had never thought possible. Feelings that no Saiyan had probably ever known.

_"When all of this is over—the tournament, do you think—you and I—we could finally—?"_

Sagie's eyes snapped opened, the red glow around her body felt like flames on her skin, but pleasant ones that were giving her more and more strength. Looking at the three fighters from universe 2, she shook her head. She felt sorry for them and she couldn't understand why. It was the strangest feeling, but it was real.

"When you find love," She told them and the energy around her changed much to the shock of everyone watching.

The red mellowed—turning almost pink. The flames grew in heat and intensity as she brought them under control, using that emotion to fuel her every movement.

"Real love," Her voice rose in volume until everyone in the ring could hear her, "Not the shit you keep parading around like a bad rash—."

Sensing the decisive moment of battle, Goku screamed beside her. Her energy was lapping at his skin, sinking into it in a way he had never experienced before. He had often borrowed energy from people when it was offered or needed, but this was different. It was almost like her energy was his energy and vice versa.

"That love—makes you feel like—," The scream issuing from Sagie's throat made every fighter tremble. "You're invincible!"

Sagie's energy filled the entire heart. Goku drew from it, not sure how this was working, but instinctively knowing to take from her. One aura wrapped around them both, her energy flowing into him and his energy flowing back in return.

White wrapped around them both. The red that had once outlined Sagie's body dissipated, overtaken by the white that was coming off of Goku. Their hair flashed in unison, white just barely licking at the strands.

"Ka—me," Their voices combined, both of them moving without having to think, "Ha—me," They both brought their hands backwards, to the hips. "Ha—me!" The blue energy of the Kamehameha wave flooded into twin palms, "Ha!"

They launched the attack simultaneously, the two bodies moving in perfect unison. The heart attack spasmed from the influx of energy, the combination of Sagie and Goku's Kamehameha too much for it to take. In a burst of black and white diamond like ripples, the heart exploded in the air, flying in every direction.

Pushing forward, Goku and Sagie both snarled, the sound of the Saiyan beasts that rested within all of their people, filling the air. Out of the corner of his eye, Goku caught the shimmering remains of another blast just like his own. Gohan, he realized, but he didn't have time to think that through any more than he already had.

Above them, the last three members of universe 2 lost their footing, flying backwards from the force of Goku and Sagie's combined attack. There was nothing they could do; their options were extinguished the second Sagie's unknown power had swallowed her up. With one last scream, their bodies flew over the edge of the ring. Goku's Kamehameha weakened, vanishing as his arms dropped. Sagie's own energy faltered, and abruptly, she fell to one knee. The white aura that surrounded them both, connecting them, shimmered once and then disappeared completely.

-break-

Vados' grip on her staff faltered to the point that it should have fallen from her hand, but Whis' quick reflexes prevented it from clattering to the ground. Both of their hearts were beating wildly from what they had just witnessed. The other angels around them weren't in much better shape. Silence reigned amongst their kind, realization inching up their backs.

Hands shaking almost violently, Whis had to force himself to keep the lump that was forming in his throat from swelling even further. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been scared until this moment. He had been petrified that he and Vados had miscalculated when they choose these two, but now, as he looked at the clearing smoke, revealing the damage inflicted by their combined powers, he knew they had been right.

Whis' brought his hand to his sister's shoulder, gently squeezing, and she nodded her head in understanding. Up above them, their father smiled while allowing his eyes to sweep over all his children. Some of the angels were standing to get a better look. Other's were just trying to keep their composure. It wasn't proper for an angel to look out at the tournament stage in disbelief, but that didn't stop some of the younger ones from doing so.

And, truthfully, the Grand Priest couldn't blame them. Most of them were too young to remember the last time this had happened. It had been at the beginning of time, after all.

-break-

"You okay?" Goku asked as he looked down at the panting woman. He was exhausted. His muscles felt like they were about to tangle in knots.

"Yeah," Sagie continued to pant for a second, breath coming out in huffs. In the distance, she heard someone cheering her on from the stands. The sound gave her strength. Inhaling deeply once more, she managed to make her way to her feet, although standing proved painful on her aching muscles.

"Son Goku," Eighteen called as she approached the man in question.

"Eighteen," Goku straightened a bit more and smiled at the approaching woman. "Did you take care of the sniper?"

She smiled, un-apologetically, and nodded, "Easily."

"All participants from universe 2 have been eliminated," The Grand Priest kept his voice so chipper that it sounded cruel. "Zeno-sama," He turned around to look at the two comical, yet powerful, boys behind him.

A wave a tension went through the ring, everyone feeling the enormity of the oncoming moments. Turning back towards the stands and universe 2, Sagie, Goku, and Eighteen watched silently as universe 2 said their last heartfelt goodbyes before disappearing from existence all together.

In the quiet that followed the eraser, Sagie blinked and licked her lips, "How's that human song go? It's in English." Sagie whispered as she stared at the vacant spot where universe 2 had been just moments before.

Goku turned to look at her, not sure what she was talking about, but in the end, Eighteen knew. Laughing quietly to herself, Eighteen clicked her tongue, "Another one bites the dust."

Immediately, Sagie's face formed a twisted smile that mirrored Eighteen's own. It was morbid, but it was the truth. Another universe had ceased to exist. They were all one step closer to safety, which truly meant, they were one step closer to being enemies again. The smile slipped from her face.

"I don't get it." Goku looked between Eighteen and Sagie perfectly confused by the banter.

"It's a song," Seventeen informed as he pulled on the edge of one of his gloves, securing it more firmly.

Not catching on in the least, Goku furrowed his eyebrows, "About biting dust?"

"It's figurative." Eighteen rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What's that mean?"

"Forget it."

Sagie watched the exchange with cynical eyes even as the corner of her lips twitched. She only knew the song because Chichi sang it on occasion while cleaning the house. She hadn't really gotten what it meant either until the other woman had patiently explained it one day while Sagie lounged unhelpfully on the couch.

An odd thought occurred to Sagie then. Her eyes landed on Son Goku who was busy trying to understand the meaning of dust biting and figurative language. Ignoring the exchange and the confusing definition Eighteen was trying to give, she blatantly interrupted, "Son Goku."

The conversation between the Saiyan and android stopped. The two turned to her expectantly.

Feeling a bit awkward, Sagie shifted away from Son Goku and frowned, "The girl you were talking about when we were under that stupid heart thing. The one who puts up with your shit," She motioned with her chin towards the sunken hole in the ring. "What's her name?"

Goku instantly went a light pink and looked away shyly. This caught Sagie off guard. She had never known a Saiyan to be shy, "Well—um—my wife," He lifted his head, a crocked grin on his face, "Chichi—she's the only woman in any universe who would ever put up with me." He laughed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "At least, that's what she tells me."

Sagie smiled faintly, her eyes grew distant, and she looked down at the ground taking in what Goku had said with unnerving slowness. Staring at the broken, chipped, and scorched floor beneath her, her vision blurred for a second. She blinked, lifted her head, and nodded once sharply, "Figures."

Before Goku could comment on her strange choice of word, Gohan himself landed next to him. The boy's eyes latched onto Sagie, nervously, and Goku knew without having the ask that something had happened.

"Are you okay?" Gohan asked his father who looked a bit worse for wear at the moment. "You look like you were caught in a nuclear blast."

"Might as well have been," Eighteen muttered as she wiped some dust off her clothes and glanced around, "Seventeen," She called to her brother who was patiently waiting off to the side. Now that Gohan was here, there was no reason to stay. "Let's go."

"Wait—!" Gohan tried to stop the two, side glancing towards Sagie as he outstretched his hand, but the androids were already gone. He watched the two disappear over a pile of rubble nearby, and gulped before turning his attention to Sagie. The woman was looking at him with downright suspicion.

"Something wrong, son?" Goku asked as he inhaled deeply. Although he would never admit it, he was starting to feel the exhaustion mounting in his body. When all of this was over, he might actually sleep for a good week or two.

Turning away from his father, positioning himself deliberately so he faced Sagie, Gohan licked his lips, "Nothing's wrong," He told Goku without looking at him.

A strange maternal instinct rocked Sagie as she looked at Gohan. The boy was averting his eyes and she knew, if he was anything like the Gohan from her universe, that meant he was hiding something. Something she knew without having to know.

Immediately, Sagie's neck snapped in the direction of the spectator stands. There, sitting with Vados, Champa, and their Supreme Kai's was Bardock and Hit, "Damn." She cursed. "Who eliminated them!?"

Following her gaze, Goku stumbled slightly in shock before turning all of his attention towards his son, "You took out Hit?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Gohan smiled faintly, "Yeah—with Piccolo-san's help."

"Well done," Goku patted his son's back impressed.

"Hey," Sagie interrupted the two with a glare, "Did you get Bardock too?"

"Um—."

"That was me," Goku told her without seeming to care, "He was a good fighter. Young—got a lot to learn, but," Goku looked towards her understanding something that no one else in the universe could understand, "He was trained well."

"Otou-san," Gohan tried to get his father's attention as he kept his eyes on Sagie. He was expecting her to rebel any minute just as she had when Frieza had nearly killed Bardock, but she didn't.

The woman merely looked back towards Gohan, a slight frown on her face, but no malice, "I guess all's fair—." She let the expression dangle in the air, sending Gohan a look that told the boy to finish it for her.

Seeing the strange affection that lined her eyes, Gohan felt (not for the first time) that she was his mother. His mother in another universe. A mother that loved him unconditionally just as his real mother did.

That warmed him, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling, albeit only slightly, "In love and war, right?"

Sagie's smile spread across her face, soft and warm. Chichi had taught him that expression as well, "Yes."

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, GCC_

Sagie laid on the floor of the Gravity Room in her makeshift bed. Chichi had found some pillows and an extra blanket stashed in a cupboard somewhere. It was fine by Sagie. She had spent the night sleeping in far worse conditions than on the ground with a pillow and a blanket. Hell, she had once spent six months in a cage. Of course, she hadn't been conscious for the majority of that time.

Turning onto her side, the hard floor of the Gravity Room pressing into her back, she sighed. Sleep was alluding her tonight for many reasons. The first and foremost being that she just couldn't shut off her brain. Thoughts were swirling throughout her head, twisting and taunting, mocking and jeering.

Vegeta—Frieza—Vegeta-sei—the Dragon Balls—Earth—Bardock—Kakarot—Chichi—

Shifting to her other side, Sagie brought her arm underneath the pillow to better brace her head and looked towards the door to the Gravity Room only to freeze. Standing just outside the door, barely observable through the tiny port hole like window was Chichi. Sagie didn't hesitate to push herself up, the blanket falling away from her barely clothed body. If she had her way, truthfully, she would sleep naked (more comfortable). As if was, however, she slept in her underwear and a loose fighting tank-top (the next best thing).

Turning, Chichi finally seemed to notice the other woman and frowned deeply, looking left and right before releasing a sigh that Sagie couldn't hear through the door. Reaching down, Chichi pressed the door release button, giving in to whatever internal debate had hindered her from coming in earlier.

The door disappeared into the ceiling with a loud swoosh before Sagie even had a chance to stand, and Chichi walked a few feet into the room before stopping. The door closed behind her and she clutched at a small pillow she was carrying, holding it to her chest.

"Sorry," She apologized pointlessly while squeezing the pillow. "I didn't mean to bother you—or wake you up."

"No bother," Sagie shrugged as she studied the other woman's bedtime clothes. She was wearing a knee length dress that was thin and silky, white. "What are you doing up?"

Chichi frowned a little bit darker and shrugged almost helplessly, "I—I couldn't sleep."

Raising up an eyebrow, Sagie tried to read between the hidden lines of that sentence. Somehow, she got the idea that 'couldn't sleep' meant something a far cry different from her own version. Sagie brought her knees to her chest and rested her crossed arms on top of them as she took an educated guess, "Nightmare?"

Chichi jumped slightly, just her shoulders tensing and untensing really, and turned two wide eyes towards Sagie. In the vague red glow of the Gravity Room's constant running lights, her eyes looked positively horrified. About what, Sagie had no idea. Then, Chichi's face fell, and she pulled the pillow a bit tighter to her chest while looking at the ground.

"It's pathetic," She spoke, frustration in her voice, "Having a stupid nightmare like a child."

Patiently, Sagie sat on the ground, listening to the revelation.

"I've been a fighter my whole life—trained by my papa and my grandpa and their master as well." She shook her head, the braid that was hanging loosely over her shoulder jostled. "I know I'm strong—but—I—I just—."

"You sound like my mother."

Chichi's head snapped up and she blinked down at Sagie who sighed faintly. Patting the floor beside herself, Sagie motioned for Chichi to join her on the hard ground. Hesitant at first, Chichi didn't move, but when Sagie sent her a comforting, albeit small smile, she did. Crossing the short distance between them, she gently lowered herself to the ground, the pillow going in her lap as she sat on her knees—a proper Japanese woman.

Finally sitting up completely, Sagie crossed her own legs and leaned against the giant Gravity Generator in the middle of the room. Side by side, the two women fell into silence for a few precious seconds. Their heart beats slowed. The faint red light in the room illuminated their relaxing features.

"My mother," Sagie began, speaking quietly into that comfortable darkness. "Was incredibly powerful. She could take down an entire legion of Saiyans if she wanted to." The smile on Sagie's face faltered, turning to embarrassment. "But she—she could never—even in her wildest, most rage filled moments," She looked straight at Chichi trying to convey a message without speaking. "Hurt a soul. All that power—and she couldn't take down a single enemy. She was petrified to fight someone who wasn't a Saiyan. Incapable really for fear of hurting them," Sagie snorted. "Drove my father insane—but," She smirked, and the expression was sad. "Funnily enough—he was still my father. You'd think he wouldn't want to breed with a woman like her, but he did."

"What are you trying to say?"

"There's no shame in being powerful, while still," Sagie paused; the room grew tense for a second, and then the Saiyan female smiled at Chichi. The expression soft and gentle, very unlike the woman Chichi had come to know, "Feeling scared."

Chichi took all this in silently. Glancing down at the pillow that was now resting in her lap, she reached up a hand and gently smoothed a wrinkle in its surface without really thinking. "My childhood had some nasty fights in it against armies and evil martial arts masters and—some weird emperor." She chuckled at the thought as her hand stilled its ministrations on the pillow. "I nearly died multiple times—watched friends die, brought them back to life." Her eyes blurred a bit as she remembered losing Krillin and Master Roshi to King Piccolo, "But—even though I won those fights—I—I never really wanted to be there." The stilled hand suddenly came back to life, grasping at the pillow angrily. "I'm just—not that person. I wanted to grow up, get married, raise a family. Live a simple, honest, peaceful life."

Leaning her head on the gravity generator once more, Sagie grunted, "But that wasn't in the works, was it?"

"No—," Chichi's grip on the pillow loosened, "I guess not."

Silence reigned between them as they sat quietly in the soft red glow both lost in their own thoughts. Then, suddenly, Chichi's grip on the pillow tightened to the point that it actually tore. A curse, completely out of character, left the woman's lips and she worried her fingers against the fabric.

"Damn it," She cursed again while trying to line up the tear to see if it could be fixed. She bit her lip as tears formed in her eyes, stinging her lashes, "Clumsy—," She sniffed and tried to gain her composure; she didn't like how vulnerable she suddenly felt in front of the warrior female beside her, "Sorry—I must look pathetic."

"You're only pathetic," Sagie mumbled, "If you're actually crying over the pillow."

"Huh?" Chichi looked straight towards the Saiyan female. At some point, the other woman had pulled one of her legs upwards to rest her arm on the top of her knee. When she had done that, Chichi couldn't say.

"It's not the pillow making you cry, right?" Sagie looked deliberately at the pillow in Chichi's lap, nodding towards the large tear.

Tensing, Chichi knew it was pointless to contradict the woman, "I—."

"Its not like you to hold back Chichi," Sagie dropped her knee back down, crossing her legs. "Just spit it out."

She did.

"After I make my wish on the Dragon Balls, Sagie-san," Chichi gulped, the fear she had been dreaming of coming into reality. "Will you—take the boys—back?"

Surprise flashed across the Saiyan females face for a briefest of moments before it slipped away, replaced by an unhesitant answer, "No," Sagie whispered faintly. "It's not like I have anywhere to take them to. As far as I know, we're the last of the Saiyans." The laugh that left Sagie's mouth held no mirth. "Taking them when I have no home—no job—no nothing—would be stupid at best. It's safer if I leave them with you. And besides even that—at this point," The sigh that left her mouth was labored, "They're more yours than mine."

Chichi stared at the other woman actually feeling a combination of sadness and relief that made another emotion take root in her soul only seconds later: guilt.

"But—."

"Don't deny it, Chichi. I wasn't meant to be a mother like you." Sagie cut off the protest. "I'm not cut out for it the way you are. I'd be a fool to—," She paused, thinking back on the way her boys had behaved with Chichi.

They had been obedient and educated, Kakarot spoke and read Standard Language fluently and he was only seven, yet he was still strong. Kakarot had proved that when he went after Vegeta. Somehow Chichi was able to do what Sagie didn't think herself capable. She had cultivated not only their minds and manners, but also their power. That was something she wanted for her children; it was also something she didn't know how to give.

Gritting her teeth, she finished her thought, "—to think I could take those kids from you and raise them up right." She nodded sharply and looked towards Chichi who was sitting dumbstruck next to her. "They're yours—as long as you want them. Don't worry about me getting in the way of that."

"That wasn't what I was worried about." Chichi's eyes flashed a bit annoyed at having been interrupted, "If I take them," She leaned down, so that she was looking up into Sagie's face, staring her right in the eye, "Where will that leave you? Where will you go? What will you do?"

Shifting a bit uncomfortably, Sagie's eyes narrowed, "That depends on Frieza. If he's not on Namek, I'll have to hunt him down. Could take a few years to do that."

"And if he is on Namek? Are you going to fight him?"

"Yes," The answer was blunt and pessimistic. "After that, what I'll do depends on whether I live or not."

"Then assume," Chichi pressed. "Assume you're going to live. What would you do?"

Sagie looked out across the room towards the entrance door. There was nothing particularly interesting about it, but still she stared at it. Really, she just needed something to look at that wasn't Chichi, "I don't know." She muttered and it was almost more to herself than the other woman, "Like I said, I'm the last of my kind. I've got no home-world left to go home to. I'll probably just sell this thing," She waved a hand at the ship, "Get a small cruiser, and disappear."

Chichi reached across the small distance between them, letting go of the pillow, and placed a soft hand over Sagie's own. Sagie flinched at first but didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she looked up towards Chichi as the sweetest smile she had ever seen on a person's face filled Chichi's own.

"I think you're missing a better option."

Sagie searched Chichi's face for something she truthfully knew wasn't there, and then, she smiled in return. She didn't know if the expression was as sweet as Chichi's, but she knew it was just as real.

"When all of this is over, Sagie-san," Chichi's voice was gentle and held a melody in it that was like medicine for Sagie's soul. "Come live with me—," She flushed brightly and then corrected herself, but the reality of her words was already palpable in the air. "Come live with us. We can raise Gohan and Goten together."

Sagie felt moisture instantly form in her eyes, but really couldn't explain why. Gulping down a lump that had formed in her throat, she turned her hand over underneath Chichi's own and grasped it tightly for her answer.

**Please Review**


	12. Frieza

**Chapter 12:**

**Frieza**

Having left Goku and his son behind, Sagie carefully made her way through the ring looking for people of her own to join. She was exhausted. Her body was aching in ways she couldn't even verbally describe. Even a weakling with the right amount of effort could have taken her out right about now. Of course, she wouldn't let something that pathetic happen to her, but she knew if she wasn't careful it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Soon enough, much to her relief, she saw the outline of her firstborn son. He was straightening as he wiped a bit of dirt from his white tank top that was now speckled with blood (hopefully from someone other than himself). Beside him, Piccolo was looking out across the tournament floor, keeping his eye out for a new victim. His green face scrunched up when he happened to notice Sagie walking suspiciously slowly towards them.

"Yo," She held up a hand, waving absently.

Kakarot turned at the sound of his biological mother's voice and froze briefly, "Ma? He mumbled as his eyes washed over her pathetic physical state before quickly snapping back to himself, "What the hell happened to you?" He growled out as he hastily made his way towards her.

Laughing, if only to herself, Sagie answered hoarsely albeit sarcastically, "Love."

For his part, Kakarot didn't bother to question her weird response. Crossing the short distance that remained between them, he sighed and shook his head. His mother was in horrible shape. Numerous cuts lined her body, bruises were forming, and her energy had dipped so low that he could only catch the slightest twinge of it.

"Don't give me that look," Sagie's voice was harsh, but her eyes, as Kakarot was used to, were soft.

"I felt you fighting with that man from universe 7," He spoke calmly as he motioned towards Piccolo.

The Namekian nodded in response. Stepping up beside Sagie, he raised up his palms to her shoulder and side, sending healing energy into her battered body the way Dende had taught him, "You've done a number on yourself this time, Sagie-san."

The Saiyan female shrugged non-chalantly and closed her eyes against the warmth of healing energy, "It was a good fight."

Growling, Kakarot narrowed his eyes at his mother, "Why were you with the male Saiyan?"

Sagie opened one eye to look at her son. He appeared paranoid although she couldn't fathom the reason. Sighing heavily, she cleared her throat before speaking once more, "His name's Son Goku."

"I know," Kakarot grunted and looked away from her to keep an eye on possible ambushes. "I fought him. He's—strong."

"That's putting it mildly," Sagie agreed and experimentally tested her left shoulder. It had been tightening more than other parts of her body. The residual pain of an old injury that often flared up during a good fight.

"We should keep a precise eye on him," Piccolo muttered as he focused a little more energy than he should spare into healing Sagie. She was their best chance of winning. This he realized. And, therefore, he wasn't hesitant in offering her more healing than he would another one of their warriors. "If we're to win this tournament, we will have to defeat him at some point."

"You don't think another universe could fill in for us on that?" Sagie quipped before laughing and punching Piccolo into the arm like a frat brother. "Come on! We'll beat him no problem, worry wort."

Lowering his hands, Piccolo sent her a blank frown as Kakarot growled loudly.

"Ma," He shook his head and rolled his eyes all at once, "Your suicidal fighting strategy is going to get us all killed."

"You've been saying that for years," Sagie teased while she stood. Carefully, she stretched her back by twisting her upper body side to side. Piccolo's healing had been excellent as usual. "And we haven't died yet."

"At least not permanently," Piccolo smirked at the small Saiyan woman he called friend.

She returned the shrewd look and popped her neck before shaking her head back and forth quickly, "Thanks for the heal," She turned, fully prepared to simply leave, but was stopped by her son's hand on her shoulder.

"Ma, this is serious," He chastised her, "Please, take it that way."

The smile that had been on her face faltered before turning into a tense frown. Pulling her shoulder away from Kakarot's grip, she turned around to look at the boy, prepared to return the favor but stopped from the sight of Kakarot's face. The young Saiyan was frowning, lines forming around his mouth that didn't belong to somebody that young. He was clearly worried and with good reason, Sagie knew. He had a wife and a newborn at home and a mother he wanted to protect far more than his real one.

Reaching out a hand, Sagie touched just the tips of her fingers to Kakarot's cheek, running one of them down a worry line that ran from his nose around his mouth to his chin, "Kakarot," She mumbled the name as she paused the trail of her fingers and fully cupped his cheek with affection, "Have I ever failed you, truly?"

Kakarot opened his mouth as his he was about to protest, but stopped when his mother spoke again.

"Not as a mother," Her fingers curled against his cheek, trying to remember how it had felt long ago when he was but a child, "But as a fighter—a protector?"

The man looked down as if ashamed of himself for a second, then looked back up, "Ma—you've nearly gotten us killed many ti—." The words dropped off as her hand slid down his face, lingering against his chin before dropping to her side completely.

She turned away from him, hiding the hurt that his momentary denial made run through her, "If you think for a second that I would fail you," She gulped and didn't look at him even when she sensed him reaching for her in apology, "Then I really have failed you in every way possible, haven't I?"

With those words, she leapt away before her son could grab her and make her face a reality she had spent a lifetime escaping.

-break-

Frieza made his way through the ring slowly. His eyes darted this way and that growing paranoid. It was a strange sensation for the universal dictator. There were very few occasions in the entirety of his life that made him feel paranoid the way he did right now. The last of which had been only a few months before—maybe a year—when he had attempted to defeat Son Goku and Vegeta once more. When he had seen Goku rushing him in those final seconds, he had felt paranoid.

Presently, he wasn't entirely sure what the root cause of the feeling was, but he knew it had something to do with the woman from universe 6. For the past ten or fifteen minutes of tournament time, he had been hanging back, watching her every move closely. The sight of her made his skin prickle. If he would have possessed arm hair, it probably would have stood on end.

Looking at her was like looking into a memory that haunted him more than any other he had in his head. Looking at her was like looking at Son Goku and that really pissed him off.

"Bitch," He mumbled under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest in irritation. A nearby competitor caught his attention and without lifting more than a finger, he sent a bright red ki blast towards the fighter.

A scream echoed through the ring, but Frieza didn't stop to torture the fool. He wasn't ready to draw attention to himself just yet. Instead, he approached slowly, face scrunched up in thought, and pulled back one of his three-toed feet, aiming it at the terrified face of his victim. The hit was solid and the man went flying over the side of the ring.

Still feeling irritated, Frieza allowed his tail to thrash behind him several times. Normally, the elimination of someone would have appeased the evil streak inside of him enough that he could smile. As it were, he felt no mirth from the terrified cry. Instead, he felt only more irritation.

"Fucking cunt," He growled low in his throat only to freeze just as his name suggested.

"Is that anyway to talk to the person who's about to kick your ass?"

Frieza couldn't stop the sadistic smirk that formed on his face. His crossed arms tightened, a chuckle bubbled up in his throat, and his feet twisted around just slightly. Standing sideways, hip presenting towards his new opponent, Frieza hummed to himself with deliberate slowness.

"It has been quite a while," He allowed his voice to drip with formality, "Sagie-dono."

Standing across from him, her hands fisted at her sides, Sagie returned his formality with a twisted grin, "Too long, I dare say, Frieza-_sama_."

The wind of the void caught her shoulder-length black hair, making it flutter a bit in the wind as the sarcasm dripped off the word -sama. She lifted her chin a little bit higher, narrowed eyes shining for a second as the odd multicolored light of the void reflected in them.

"I can't even begin to express," She continued on. Her eyes grew more deadly, a hatred forming in them that made Frieza's body spasm happily, "How happy I am to have found you, Frieza."

"Oh?" Frieza turned fully towards her. His stomach twisted awkwardly, but he didn't let the knowledge show on his face. He would never let her have the satisfaction of knowing that he felt anything other than indifference. "Very few people are happy when they run into me. You must be a unique breed, Sagie-dono."

"Unique?" Sagie tasted the word in her mouth, hating its flavor. "Is that what we're calling it now?" She snorted rudely. "The Frieza in my universe called my breed something completely different."

Frieza lifted up the spot on his head where an eyebrow should have been. It was a delicate movement from his white and purple form. The arms that were still crossed over his chest tensed, and the feeling he had experienced the first time he had fought against this woman amplified. Irritated, Frieza felt his whole body grow taunt. He hated this, hated the feeling that was starting to run up and down his spine.

"The Frieza in my universe," Sagie continued. Her eyes darkened, turning to a shade of black that lacked all semblance of color. "Called my breed—filthy sluts!" The sound ripped from her throat. The word echoed throughout the void. Sagie's power flared. Piccolo's healing had done the right trick.

Instantly, her hair spiked up, going right passed Super Saiyan and Ascended Saiyan to stand boldly at Blue. For the briefest of seconds, Frieza actually looked surprised, but it only lasted for a second. He didn't have longer than that. After all, Sagie had started charging him before the tips of her hair had fully changed color.

-break-

On the other side of the void, unaware of Sagie's current assault on his one time enemy, Goku knelt down catching his breath. His whole body was aching all over, but that wasn't what was really bothering him to the point that he needed a momentary break from fighting. His mind was, unnaturally, focused on his own inner thoughts. Usually during a battle, his mind went virtually blank. Whis had even said this was one of his strong-suits. He had the uncanny ability to just trust himself, in a basic fight at least, and allow his body to move with a will of its own. Right now, however, he found that he couldn't shut off his brain. He was confused, more so than usual, and the feeling was eating at him.

Over and over again, his brain replayed the events inside the heart attack—whatever it was called. He could see Sagie as she stood in the center of it. He could hear her screaming towards their assailants. He could feel the shift in her power and what it meant. And it was that shift that made his whole body feel strange right now.

When her power had shifted, he had instinctively known what to do. He knew to take from it, to combine with it. And, strangely but normally, in that moment, his mind had shut off accepting what she had to offer.

They had—for lack of a better term—almost become one for that brief moment in time. They had moved in unison. They had seemed to think in unison. Two bodies moving simultaneously in a way he had never experienced before in his life.

It terrified him.

Absolutely terrified him.

Gulping down air, Goku brought himself to his feet and glanced towards his eldest son. Gohan had been patiently guarding him as he caught his breath. Really, they didn't have any time to spare, but he couldn't help that he was exhausted and they weren't allowed to use outside healing assistance in the tournament.

"If we had been better planners," Goku joked towards his son's back, "We would have brought Dende along—put him on the team to heal us."

Gohan shook his head but didn't turn around to look at his father, "Dende would have been a liability." He told his father gently, "It would have been dangerous trying to protect him the entire time."

Chuckling to himself, Goku nodded his head in agreement, knowing that his son would sense the motion without him needing to speak, "I'm fine now, son. Go join Piccolo."

Gohan finally turned around. Looking at his father with wide eyes, he took a second to weigh his options in his own head, "I don't think that's wise, Otou-san." He muttered while deliberately motioning to Goku's burns, bruises, and cuts, "You've taken a bit of a beating."

Goku shrugged and laughed, "I've had way worse beat down's than this!" He waved a hand at his son, "Remember when we fought Vegeta the first time? I broke every bone in my body."

"That's good to know."

The hairs on the back of both father and son's necks stood on end. Whipping their heads around, they both fell into a fighting stance as the Vegeta from the other universe looked at them critically. They knew nothing of this man other than the fact that Sagie appeared to hate him. They didn't know how strong he was or what his personality was really like. For all they knew, he could have been their Vegeta's opposite, but for good reason, that wasn't a risk in thought they were willing to take.

"You," The other Vegeta looked right at Goku without giving Gohan more than a second glance, "Who are you?"

Goku blinked a few times and pointed at himself with a curved, questioning finger, "Me?"

Vegeta's face tightened with dry, annoyance, "Yes you! Who else, moron?"

Maybe this Vegeta wasn't that different from their own, Goku thought vaguely and rubbed the back of his head with a laugh, "Sorry," He waved a hand in front of his face. Playing dumb was one of his specialties. "I'm Son Goku."

The other Vegeta only looked more irritated, "I know that." He growled and rubbed his forehead absently, "Where are you from, idiot?" The last word was mumbled, but Goku could hear it easily. He was a Saiyan, after all.

"Same place as you, I bet," Goku straightened completely, dropping out of his fighting stance. Beside him, Gohan didn't budge. "I was born on Vegeta-sei."

"And the kid," Vegeta continued, gabbing his thumb towards Gohan, "He's yours?"

"Yeah," Goku acknowledged. This time his eyes narrowed a bit. A feeling was forming in his stomach that had been plaguing him since the start of the tournament. That sense of knowing something without having to know. "What of it?"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn't appear to like this particular piece of information even though it was merely a confirmation of a guess he had already made, "The mother," The words were spoken between clenched teeth, "Who's the mother?"

"Of Gohan?" Goku asked for clarification just to stall for time. He could tell exactly where this was going. He had known Vegeta long enough to know when the man was about to finally explode.

"Who else?"

"I don't know," Goku's voice actually sounded patronizing, "I do have more than one son. Could have been asking about him. Of course, they have the same mother."

If Gohan hadn't been so focused on preparing for the oncoming fight, he would have laughed. He knew, like everyone else, that his father was a bit slow and childish, but for some reason, in a fight, his true intelligence came out. It was like his brain turned on when he was fighting.

Unlike Gohan, however, the Vegeta of universe 6 did not seem to appreciate the condescending sound of Goku's voice. Dragging one foot behind his body, he turned his hip towards the two men before him. It was the first step in forming a fighting stance, "Tell me—who is the mother of that boy?"

Goku licked his lips and mimicked Vegeta's move. Pulling his own foot behind himself, he took it a step further by putting his hands up in front of his face. He knew where this was going to go. It was only a matter of seconds, "Chichi."

Much to Goku's shock, Vegeta didn't respond the way Goku thought he should have. The man's whole face fell for a second as if horrifically surprised. His eyes narrowed and he looked towards the ground. For a long second, he stared at the cracked tournament stage, analyzing something far away from it. Then, in a voice that sounded distant, almost contemplative, he repeated the name.

"Chichi?" He looked on the verge of laughter, "Figures."

And then the moment was over. Raising his head back up, looking at Goku with fire in his eyes, Vegeta didn't ask a singe question more. Screaming, his hair transformed within seconds, becoming bright gold. Dark eyes changed to teal, and he shot forward headed straight for Goku.

In the seconds before he reached the other man, however, Gohan sprang in front of his father. In a swift motion, the young man who had managed to conserve most of his energy throughout the tournament, caught Vegeta's punch with one hand.

"Your fight," Gohan told the older Saiyan while looking at him with tense, focused eyes the color of coal. "Is with me!"

-break-

Sagie's fist connected hard with Frieza's cheek, sending the reptilian sailing backwards inches above the tournament floor. Shoving off the ground with feet that tingled with power, Sagie rushed towards him, twisting her body so that her punch would make maximum impact when it landed. Hovering inches above Frieza's body, she screamed when she slammed it into his unsuspecting face.

Instantly, Frieza's forward momentum dissipated and he hit the ground, forming a crater nearly four times the size of his body. Sagie didn't let up. She sent a flurry of punches down onto him, hitting every single part of his exposed skin that she could get her hands on. Frieza's body spasmed in response as blood and spit gathered in his mouth, chocking him. Pulling a punch back to her head, Sagie yelled as she planted it right in Frieza's exposed stomach.

Frieza's mouth opened, a rain of blood and spit hit Sagie right in the face, coating her cheeks in slick, slimmy red. Not even bothering to wipe it away, she planted her feet on the ground, bent her knees, and shoot up above Frieza's head.

"Final," She screamed as she brought her hands together, palm to palm in front of her, "Flash!"

Frieza didn't even have time to open an eye before the attack hit him dead on. The ring crumbled underneath his body, nearly giving way completely to the space below it. Then, gritting his teeth, he reached up to grab Sagie's energy beam. Holding it with trembling fingers, he screamed as he shoved it off of himself, throwing it backwards with sheer force of will.

"I won't let," He yelled up at her, "A monkey," He bared his teeth as he gathered energy. "Beat me!" Energy burst from his palm, connecting with Sagie's with explosive force.

Realizing what would happen if she stuck around, Sagie snarled, cut off her energy, and got the hell out of the way of the oncoming attack. Below her, Frieza launched himself out of the crater, but didn't come for her surprisingly.

Huffing, he glared up at Sagie with one eye closed, "I must admit," A purple tongue snaked out from between his lips, licking them, "I never suspected that a little girly monkey would be this strong."

"Never fought a female Saiyan, huh?" Sagie asked coyly, her blue hair dancing around the crown of her head. "Too bad—we tend to be way worse than the men."

"And why would that be?" Frieza quirked an eyebrow twistedly.

"Well," Sagie powered up again, blue energy swirling around her body, "We're a bit more sadistic and a hell of a lot less forgiving!" Flipping her feet over her head to angle her body downwards, Sagie screamed as she flew right towards Frieza. Much to her own shock, however, he merely smirked.

Widening his stance, he brought all his power to the surface. Flames surrounded his body, licking at his white skin.

Stalling her motion, Sagie jumped down to the ground barely letting her feet touch it before she jumped completely backwards in shock. The heat coming off of Frieza's body had completely changed. It had grown exponentially in only a fraction of a second. Gritting her teeth, she inhaled sharply, unsure of what such a change meant.

Only partially aware of Sagie's reaction, Frieza widened his arms, allowing the energy from the well in his stomach to rush out into his spread limbs. It tingled in his arms as the gold washed over his body, making his muscles pulse before they grew in size and strength. The color blinded the ring and Sagie as well who covered her face in response.

"Damn," She cursed as the energy flew towards her, hitting her hard enough to make her eyes sting, "That's one fucked-up power-up." She growled and looked up over her bent arm, watching Frieza's body as it glowed a color she had never seen. "How—how did he get this much stronger?" Her eyes widened, not out of fear but out of perfect astonishment, "To think—he's this much stronger than the Frieza of my universe." Her stomach flipflopped in a delicious way that she hadn't felt in a number of years, not since she had faced Buu—no—not since Beerus.

Standing to her full height, not allowing the energy to push at her face any longer, Sagie smirked. It was a deadly, dark sight.

-break-

Krillin whistled as he looked down at Sagie and Frieza feeling positively confident, "When Frieza's all powered up like that—no one can beat him!"

"I'm sure glad he wasn't that strong on Namek," Tien grunted out, secretly feeling a bit of pity for the female Saiyan.

"If he was that strong on Namek," The other bald man laughed openly, "I wouldn't have made it out alive."

"But—you didn't make it out alive," Tien raised up one eyebrow playfully.

Turning beet red, Krillin glared at his friend, "Why'd you have to bring that up!?"

The two broke into laughter neither one aware of the boy who had been sitting quietly at their side.

Bardock was looking at the fight as well. His dark eyes, which were the mirror image of his mother's, traced her motions as she charged Frieza once more. Their power felt about equal in their current transformed state, meaning neither one had the advantage truly. The winner would be decided on skill and skill alone, which both fighters most likely possessed. A knowing feeling grew in his gut, and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

Throughout his life, he had seen his mother fight. She had fought Vegeta when he was two, fought Frieza in his universe when he was about to turn three, fought the androids and Cell when he was six, and Buu when he was thirteen. During all those fights, she had always managed to overcome, to win—except Cell that is, his brother had overcome there. Still, as he watched her, he couldn't help but wonder how she always did it. How did she rise to every single fight the way she did, overcoming any obstacle that was in her path?

Looking at her now as she ducked and dodged Frieza's hits, screaming during her own heavy assaults, the question felt heavier than even normal as did a far bigger one that he really didn't like to think about.

Having been patiently watching Bardock, reading his thoughts, Vados pursed her lips minutely. Throughout the Tournaments duration, she had found herself questioning whether or not Whis and herself had been misguided in their assumptions about Sagie and Goku. And, from what she could tell, there was a chance that they were. Something, something she couldn't explain, was off in her universe, and unless she figured out what it was, she would be in horrible trouble. This she knew with absolute certainty.

Beside her, Whis glanced at his sister. He too had the same feeling as her. Uncertainty wafted throughout his body, making him nervous. Just seconds earlier, it had dissipated when he had seen Sagie and Goku briefly work together. There had been hope in their movements, but that had been dashed just now as the two split apart once more. Now on separate sides of the ring from one another, the doubts rose up within him again.

Glancing towards Sagie's youngest son, Whis shifted slightly in his seat and tightened his grip on his staff. There was only one way to truly confirm their suspicions, and that was to sit quietly and watch. However, the longer they sat and waited, the more impatient he found himself becoming. It was an emotion he didn't like feeling.

"Bardock-san?"

The young Saiyan looked at Whis over his shoulder, not catching the surprise on Vados face, "Yes?"

Smiling cryptically, Whis looked at the boy, eyes half lidded, "Can I ask you a question?"

Bardock blinked a few times, appearing quite a lot like Goku in that moment, "Sure."

"Do you believe," Whis worded the question with such intentional carefulness that Vados frowned. "That Sagie-san is a good mother?"

Bardock snorted catching the three members of the z-fighters and the kais off guard, "No," The answer was truthful. "She's not a good mother," He turned back towards the fight, watching his mother with eyes that were still filled with affection, "But she's a great—no—she's the best fighter I've ever known."

Whis, mysteriously, did not take comfort in that answer.

-break-

Frieza's maniacal laughter hit Sagie's ears making them ring with the sound. Skidding to a halt, pebbles underneath her feet grinding into her heels, she reached up and wiped off some dirt from her chin. The damn beast had hit her hard with a wild and lucky uppercut. It had sent her head over heels, reeling, until she gained her footing once more. Now, wiping the spot of contact, she wiggled a tooth in her mouth that felt a bit loose. Another good hit or two and it would be dislodged, she was certain.

Unconcerned, she straightened her back and spit some blood from the nearly busted tooth onto the ground. It splattered a nearby rock and, much to her delight, the sight made Frieza grimace across from her.

"Disgusting filth," The alien growled out as he wiped imaginary dirt off his tan forearms.

"I'd rather be disgusting filth to you than desirable," Sagie clicked her tongue happy to see a vein appear on her opponent's forehead.

Not even bothering to shift into a fighting position, Frieza launched himself towards her enraged, "You will regret that comment!"

"I highly doubt that!" Sagie yelled in response as she lurched forward as well. The blue energy that swirled around her body amplified, surges of power coming off of her in waves as she concentrated energy into both of her fist, coating them in it. "Energie," She shouted in Saiyan as she pulled her hand to her waist, prepping it for the hit, "Faust!" She threw the punch directly at the charging Frieza.

At the last possible second, Frieza's brain acknowledged what those blue coated fists meant, and he flung himself to the side. Sagie's fist connected with the ground where Frieza had been only seconds before. The energy in it flew away from her flesh, making the tournament stage explode as if it had been hit by a bomb. Debris flew all around her, some of it hitting her exposed body, and she swung around to face him once more. Her hands continued to glow, the energy in her fists twinging with red.

"Nice dodge," She complimented sarcastically, all the while smiling. "Let's see how long you can keep that up, shall we?" She didn't bother to wait for an answer to the rhetorical question before she brought her hands up by her face and screamed.

Running forward, she swung a left hook towards Frieza's golden head. The man just managed to sidestep it before she swung again with the opposite one. The glowing fist connected with Frieza's cheek, exploding against his skin as she turned the pre-collected energy into a near simultaneous ki blast.

Knocked clean off his feet, Frieza swallowed down a cry of pain while he flew through the air. His skin burned where the contact had been made. A hit like that in the right place would cause irreversible damage, he was sure. Swinging around so he landed on his feet, Frieza changed directions, running parallel to Sagie who was coming towards him, hands ready. She shifted as well, following his directional change with ease.

"You think," She called to him, building energy while she ran, "That running is the way to dodge this?" Stopping on a dime, she dropped her hands to her sides and laughed, "Fat chance, asshole!" Punching forward, aiming directly at Frieza, Sagie released twin energy blasts from her still closed fists.

Frieza's eyes widened, unprepared for the change in tactic, and he jumped. The twin energy blasts went underneath him easily—too easily. Just as he felt that realization deep down in his six toes, his eyes budged out from a punch right to his middle. Sagie—when he had been distracted—had jumped to, predicting his dodge.

Spitting in the Saiyan female's face, Frieza flew backwards and away from her. He slammed into an outcropping, his back practically breaking from the contact. Struggling to breathe and furious, he pushed himself forward, eyes focused on Sagie. She had landed a few dozen feet away from him and was smirking dangerously.

"Did I forget to mention," She told him as she drug one foot behind her into her fighting stance. "How much I fucking hate you?"

-break-

Gohan landed easily on his feet, not even sliding backwards from the force of universe 6's Vegeta's hit. The man didn't seem quite as strong as the Vegeta that he knew and had fought on numerous occasions. To be blunt, this Vegeta seemed weak by comparison even if he was transformed into a Super Saiyan.

Tensing slightly, nevertheless, when the older Saiyan started his next charge, Gohan stayed firm in his fighting stance. Using the hand in front of his face (opened with two fingers bent low and two fingers bent high) to keep an eye on the distance left between him and Vegeta, Gohan formed a small ki blast in his other hand that rested on his hip. Licking his lips, he waited until he was sure Vegeta was no more than ten meters away before launching himself into the air and firing it right at the unassuming fighter.

Vegeta growled in response, backflipping a handful of times to get out of the way of the hit. Springing upwards on the last flip, he joined Gohan in the air. Punches and kicks and blocks swirled all around both fighters as they landed on the ground still hitting one another in a flurry of attacks.

Using the momentum of a well-placed hit to Vegeta's stomach, Gohan propelled himself backwards and threw his hands above his head. Quickly, he touched the palm of one to the back of the other just above the crown of his hair and yelled, "Masenko," The scream left his lips, "Ha!"

Vegeta only barely managed to duck out of the way of the hit, rolling off his shoulder before barreling back to his feet. Immediately, he took off running parallel to Gohan's body, repositioning himself so that he was aligned just so with the younger man. Gohan's eyes tracked him easily, noting the lack of speed from the other fighter and something a little bit more.

Jumping backwards and out of the way of a series of ki-blasts Vegeta attempted to deliver, Gohan stared at his gold hair completely baffled. It wasn't like Vegeta, in his universe at least, to stay in such a low form of Super Saiyan. The man kind of prided himself on his ability to transform to higher levels, especially Blue, and the very notion that he wasn't spoke volumes.

_Is he underestimating me? Or—can he not go any higher than Super Saiyan?_ Gohan thought just to himself as he slapped a small energy blast away from himself.

Shaking the thought from his head, Gohan inhaled sharply, fully prepared to take advantage of such a possibility. Before he could unleash the necessary energy to power up, however, a streak of something to his right made him swing his entire body around. With only milliseconds to spare, he formed an x with his forearms, catching a wild and furiously over-powered punch with them. Gritting his teeth from the minute bit a pain it caused, he felt his body slide backwards a good ten feet as he stared into his own, albeit much harder, eyes.

"Kakarot," He muttered.

The man's eyebrows narrowed in response, and he jumped upwards and backwards, landing on the ground a short distance away. Immediately, he sank into a fighting stance, hands up in front of his face in twin knives that reminded Gohan of his mother's fighting style (he had only seen it a half dozen times but he remembered it well).

"Oi!" Vegeta screamed towards Kakarot, a clear glare evident on his face, "What are you doing, boy?"

"What's it look like?" Kakarot growled over his shoulder, clear animosity present in his voice, "Finishing what you can't."

"I damn well can finish it!" Vegeta snarled in return, leaping towards the boy. He landed between Gohan and Kakarot eyes flaring with anger as he stared the boy down, "This is my fight, Kakarot."

Kakarot didn't take his eyes off Gohan. It was almost like he wasn't willing to give Vegeta the time of day, "Get out of my way, old man."

If Gohan had been looking at Vegeta's face, he would have been able to see the vein that formed on his forehead clearly. "You will show me the respect I deserve as—!"

Vegeta never finished the sentence.

In one rapid strike, Kakarot drove a solid punch right into Vegeta's face, sending the older Saiyan right towards Gohan. Instinctively, Gohan jumped up out of the man's way, watching with wide and disbelieving eyes as the Vegeta of universe 6 collided with a nearby rock. It shattered from the force of his body hitting it, smothering the man in rubble.

Baffled, Gohan looked back towards the other version of himself in an attempt to solve the unanswered question in his own mind. He was only provided with half of one.

There, in Kakarot's clearly pissed off face, Gohan saw hatred the likes of which he had only seen on enemies faces as they took their dying breathes. He had seen it on Cell's face when he killed him and on Frieza and King Cold's faces when future Trunks had sliced them up. That look of absolute and utter loathing for the person standing in front of you. Why Kakarot had that look on his face, he couldn't fathom. But he did know that the detestation in Kakarot's eyes spoke of something far worse than he could even imagine.

Pushing himself up from the rubble, Vegeta looked towards Kakarot. Blood was dripping from a cut on his forehead, sliding into his eyes, but he didn't seem all that bothered by it. Blinking slowly, he managed to stand as he shoved the rocks away from himself. The blood went passed his eye, sliding down his nose, and dripping like sweat.

"Kakarot," He whispered the name and the sound of his voice was awkward, a combination of pain and frustration. "This isn't the time or the place for this."

Clearly confused, Gohan finally turned towards his father. Goku was watching the scene from some distance away, his own face just as baffled as Gohan's. Father and son made eye contact between Kakarot and Vegeta, and in a moment of clear genetics, both shrugged towards the other and sweat-dropped.

"If you really think that," Kakarot spoke from a dark place. "Then get the fuck out of here and let me take care of them. You're too weak to even make a dent. You can't even ascend."

Vegeta flinched, and bared his teeth at the younger man, "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up right now, boy!"

Kakarot's body went rigid and the unnerving steal-like hatred in his eyes changed into titanium, "Is that a threat?" He didn't give Vegeta time to clarify, "Because if it is, I'm taking you down!"

"Is that a challenge?" Vegeta countered, and that was all the words Kakarot needed.

Throwing all his weight into his feet, Kakarot shot off, aiming himself right for the Vegeta of his own universe.

-break-

Whis stared down at the Vegeta from his sister's universe, confused. This was the second time universe 6 had broken out in a fight between universe members. Of course, his own universe had one such fight break-out between Frieza and Goku, but that fight had more explanation. Goku had been defending a version of his own child. This fight—the one between Kakarot and Vegeta—didn't make any sense. It was like a grudge match (for that matter the fight between Vegeta and Sagie had felt the same), but this still felt like some unknown grudge from long ago boiling over into a fight.

Beside him, holding her own staff as she bit her lower lip, Vados felt regret flooding through her. She had known in the back of her head that making Vegeta a member of universe 6's team could end badly, but she hadn't understood the true extent of the divide between Vegeta and the other Saiyan members until now. And, she knew, this rift could ruin everything.

Not aware of the two angels' inner turmoil, Krillin shook his head at Vegeta and Kakarot, "What is wrong with those guys? Aren't they on the same team?"

"I know Vegeta isn't the easiest person in the world to get along with," Master Roshi mumbled beside his student, peering down at the fight over his sunglasses, "But fighting with your own teammate in a tournament like this? Gohan should know better."

"This isn't the Gohan from our universe though. This is Kakarot," Tien reminded, arms crossed over his chest. "We don't know anything about him. He—well—he could be very different."

Sitting, silently listening to the words of the people he both knew and didn't know all at once, Bardock frowned darkly. Childhood memories that were so fuzzy he might as well not have any memory of the events were wafting through his mind. He had known Vegeta since he was two, and those early memories of the man were sickening to say the least. For his brother, they had to be even worse. Those memories had to be downright painful for Gohan, especially since Gohan had known Vegeta before he came to Earth. He had known him on Vegeta-sei before everything had happened.

"I don't know your Gohan," Bardock spoke up catching everyone, even Vados and Whis, off guard. "But—Gohan, my Gohan—hates Vegeta more than anyone."

The small section of people went quiet at Bardock's words, allowing the young Saiyan to continue.

"I don't blame him either," He mumbled while studying his older brother carefully. He could feel fury flowing off of him. "When we were small," His breath hitched in his throat for a second, "Vegeta tried to kill us. Okaa-san—um—Chichi stepped in the way to save us both—took a full forced hit that should have killed her. I still don't know how she survived."

No one said anything as they tried to process what the boy was saying.

"And—," He gulped trying to clear his throat of a strange lump that was forming there, "The things he did to Sagie—to Ma—," Lifting up his head, he searched for Sagie on the tournament floor once more. She was fighting against Frieza in his new Golden Form, holding her own. "We can't even begin to deal with what he did to her. How he treated her. They were friends as children, you know—they—." His voice cut off unable to admit to more. "And he—he betrayed her—beat her and enslaved her." Fingers, angry and tense, clutched at his pants, "That bastard did everything in his power to destroy her physically, mentally," He scowled darkly. The fabric of his pants ripped, "We hate him more than anything!"

Everything went a bit quiet as each one of the already eliminated z-fighters became entrapped in their own thoughts. Behind them all, Vados and Whis listened intently, piecing the information together in a far different way than the mortals below them. Finally, after the silence had permeated the air for a few seconds too long, a deliberate throat clear brought everybody out of their thoughts.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Master Roshi muttered once he was sure he had everybody's attention. "But—," He chuckled slightly, "Our Vegeta isn't much better."

It was Bardock's turn to be caught off guard.

"When he first came to Earth, he killed a handful of our friends including Piccolo and Tien." He jutted his thumb towards Tien who awkwardly flushed. "He broke every bone in Goku's body the first time they fought. Nearly killed Krillin and our Gohan, too."

Chuckling as he looked back at the battle from so long ago, Krillin rubbed the back of his head. "I thought I was dead for sure at the time! Good thing Goku showed up when he did or me and the kid would have died right then and there."

"I hate to admit it," Tien coughed slightly, appearing a tad contrite, "But I really hated Vegeta for a long time. Kind of still do if I'm being honest."

Shocked by these words, Bardock turned to face Master Roshi completely.

"We all did." Master Roshi smiled faintly before his face reverted to a frown, "He was a nasty one for at least the first five years we knew him. Screamed at everyone almost all the time, threatened to kill Goku every time the two met. Beat up Gohan a few times too just for fun. What a handful that guy was!"

Bardock felt his mouth slip opened just a bit, "Then why the hell are you friends with him?" His eyes darted from one person to another, trying frantically to put it all together. "How could you forgive the bastard?!"

It was Krillin who answered, "Goku."

Bardock blinked and turned back to the fight, studying the man who was watching Kakarot fight Vegeta. Goku was standing unassumingly off to the side. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was leaning to the left, putting most of his weight onto that one leg. He was exhausted, that much was clear, but he was still following the fight with adept eyes. It would only be a matter of time before he had enough energy regathered to enter a fight of his own. At his side, his own son was currently saying something that was much too far away from Bardock to hear. Whatever it was, it made Goku laugh, his whole face brightening.

"What's," Bardock wondered out loud, "So special about him?"

"Goku—has this amazing ability to see the good in everyone," Krillin supplied with affection teeming in his voice, "No matter what you do to him—how harsh you are or mean or even evil—Goku can look at you and see the part of you that's struggling or confused and just smile like it's the most normal thing in the world."

"You know—at first I thought that was just naivety? He was a—um—innocent kid," Tien looked down at Goku, grinning slightly. "But as I got to know him, I realized that being naïve was really only half of it." Tien knew better than anyone there that Goku was capable of seeing the good in even the cruelest of individuals. The man had always been able to do it. To look at someone who was fighting with their own demons and reach out his hand to bat them away. "Goku may act all goofy but deep down he's really serious and compassionate. He can't stand seeing someone in pain, never has been able to—and that quality kind of draws you in."

"Yeah," Krillin shook his head slightly, "It draws you in and then, before you know it, you're his friend. You aren't even aware it happened. I don't know when, but that happened to Vegeta too."

Bardock stared at Goku, one ear turned towards the people from universe 7, and the other focused on the strange man who was apparently his father in another universe. The other Gohan beside him was looking at him with some concern, whispering who knew what, but Goku simply waved it off and gently nudged the boy's shoulder. The other Gohan didn't look particularly convinced but obeyed the order, jumping away, leaving his father to watch Kakarot and Vegeta fight.

And, against his will, Bardock felt jealousy fill up his heart.

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Namek_

Frieza's blast hit Sagie right on her back as she flew through the air from his latest kick. Screaming, the Saiyan woman tried to right herself, but she was far too impaired from the fight to find her way back upright. Slamming into the ground full speed, Sagie skidded on her left shoulder. The skin ripped opened on an ill placed rock and she gritted her teeth. After what felt like an eternity, her body came to a stop in a heap of gravel and short Namekian grass.

Sagie felt the blood dripping down her face although she wasn't sure what had caused the cut. Using all the strength left in her body, Sagie planted the palm of one hand on the ground and then the other. Huffing, she pushed herself up back to her feet. It took a second for her to regain her balance. Stumbling backwards, she gasped as pain shot through her ribs. Leaning backwards onto her heels, she held her side and stared at the demon in front of her. He had been toying with her for the past fifteen minutes. She the mouse; he the cat. But it was all she could do. She wasn't strong enough to be more than a mouse.

And that fucking pissed her off.

Spitting to her side, Sagie straightened and brought the back of her hand up to wipe at her bleeding lower lip. Faintly, she double checked Chichi and the boys' position. They were on the other side of the planet, collecting the last of the Namekian Dragon Balls. All she had to do was hold out until they got the last of them. Then, Chichi would summon the dragon and make the necessary wishes to restore everything to order.

Wish 1: Restore the Earth and its inhabitants.

Wish 2: Bring the Nameks Frieza killed back to life.

Wish 3: Transport everyone except Frieza to Earth.

And that was a great plan. Everyone would be saved though it would all be temporary which made the plan utterly pointless. A fact she had explained to Chichi hours before in front of the Elder Nemekian. The other woman hadn't had a solution at that time and had outright refused to listen to Sagie's own.

"Well—well Sagie-san," The already completely transformed Frieza's white tail flicked from left to right, hitting the ground and crushing it. "I've given you your chance for revenge, and you have greatly disappointed me."

Sagie clutched a fist at her side and muttered, "It's not for a lack of trying."

The ribs along her left side ached; they had definitely cracked in at least four or five places from that last hit.

Frieza turned away from her, facing to the left. His tail continued to flick, "You can't beat me. You must realize that, yes?"

Sagie's fingers trembled ever so slightly. It wasn't a sensation she was used to.

"There's absolutely nothing you can do, little Saiyan girl." Frieza's tail flopped to one side.

The whiteness of it was odd to Sagie. Before this fight, she hadn't known that Frieza could transform or that she had only ever known him in his base form. To look at him now, shinny, white and purple with power coming off of him in insane waves, she felt dizzy. Deep down, she knew that there was very little chance that she could even put a dent in him. Still, the Saiyan inside of her wasn't something that she could argue with. It growled and roared and clawed at her psyche telling her that she had more power if only she could push to find it.

Rolling her shoulders back as far as they could go, Sagie spread her feet a little bit more apart. Her clothes were torn. The battle armor she had stolen from one of Frieza's ships was cracked across the breast plate, revealing the blue, skin tight spandex that covered her left breast. The shorts were disintegrated, leaving her in nothing but the matching underwear and white boots. She must have looked an absolute mess in her ripped clothes with her lips swollen from a hit to the face and her head bleeding, coating her eye.

"You're right," She spoke clearly as she stared Frieza down, using a look she reserved only for people she knew she was going to rip to shreds. "I'm far weaker than you."

Frieza lifted up one eyebrow and tilted his head to one side in fake curiosity, but he didn't interrupt her as she continued on.

"You probably could kill me without even trying," Sagie inhaled deeply. In the back of her mind, images of her people, her children, and even Vegeta and Chichi played over and over again in a loop. "But that doesn't mean you'll beat me."

A laugh ripped from Frieza's throat and his face morphed into the most sickening twisted smile that Sagie had ever seen, "Please—please," He reached up and it looked almost as if the demon had wiped a tear from his amused eye, "Do tell me—how can you possibly win?"

Growling low in her throat, Sagie sank down into a fighting stance. She held up two fingers of her front hand and formed her other hand into a fist which she placed against her back hip, "You just don't get it, do you Frieza?" She spoke through gritted teeth as she brought as much energy to the surface as she could.

Crossing his arms over his chest, unable to sense her power and unconcerned nonetheless, Frieza waited for her next words.

"Saiyan's," Sagie let the energy that was tingling in her back spread. She could feel something in it, something deep and mysterious and powerful, but not yet ready to overtake her. "Don't lose!"

Throwing herself forward, ignoring the air that grabbed at her hair throwing it nearly into her face, she formed a blast in the palm of her hand and sent it flying at the man before her. Frieza laughed, jumped backwards and up into the air. A point of red light formed on the tip of one of his fingers and he flicked it out into the world, directly towards her. Sagie spun her entire body in a complete circle, allowing the energy beam to pass underneath her harmlessly. Then, in one fluid motion, she threw her feet over her head, using the momentum of the action to plant her feet on the ground as hard as she could. Bending at the knees, she shot upwards towards a still perfectly calm Frieza.

Within seconds, she reached him, throwing a multitude of punches that the man blocked and dodged, over and over again. Furious, Sagie continued throwing hits even as her back continued to tingle. The sensation was starting to feel familiar to her. Vaguely, she realized that she had felt the same thing when she fought Vegeta after he had attacked her child. But, she had no idea what it was, and she sure as hell didn't have time to think about it either.

Quite suddenly, above them, the sky flickered becoming darker and darker. Sagie paused as did Frieza. The coloration was indescribable.

Frieza's head snapped upwards as the darkness overtook the sky, "What?"

Sagie's heart pounded in her chest. Even though she had no idea what the Dragon looked like, she knew in that moment that this was it. Chichi had done what she said she would. She had summoned the Dragon.

"No!" Frieza's calm expression changed to something so demonic that Sagie thought the look would turn her to ash. Slamming his fist into her face, Frieza didn't wait to see the damage the hit inflicted.

Barely having time to right herself, Sagie snapped her head in Frieza's direction, mouth dropping opened. In this form, Frieza was impossibly fast—far faster than her—and diffidently fast enough to reach Chichi and her children before they made their final wish.

**Please Review**


	13. Revenge

**Chapter 13:**

**Revenge**

Kakarot growled low under his breath as he landed easily on his feet. Vegeta wasn't a particularly difficult opponent. Hell, he didn't even touch the beginnings of what Cell had been able to do, and he had defeated that creature in a mere fifteen minutes after ascending. Straightening, Kakarot rolled his shoulders back and glared down the bridge of his nose at the shorter man.

Vegeta was panting and had fallen to one knee. Both of his eyes were squinted, glaring up at the younger Saiyan, and blood was slowly collecting at the point of his chin as it dribbled from his nose. Kakarot had broken it with one punch to the face.

Eyes narrowing, Kakarot clutched one hand into a fist at his side. It seemed odd that Vegeta, the once mighty Saiyan King, had been taken down so quickly. There had even been a time when Kakarot had thought Vegeta formidable and had looked up at him in terror. Those times had long since passed. He hadn't felt fear when he looked at this man in years; he only felt contempt. Watching as Vegeta raised up a hand to wipe the blood dribbling down his chin, smearing the red substance on the dirty, white spandex, Kakarot smirked.

Ignoring the look, it seemed, Vegeta took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet.

"Finally able to stand?" Kakarot's head lobbed to one side as he laughed openly. "Took you long enough. Getting old or just pathetic as always?"

Vegeta, very much unlike the one from universe 7, didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he deliberately wiped the back of his glove on his pants leg, transferring some of the blood to the spandex underneath his long-waisted armor.

"Listen Kakarot," He kept his voice even. "When we get back to Earth, we'll settle this but now is not the time."

Kakarot's face contorted for a fraction of a second, and in one motion, he shot forward. His fist connected with Vegeta's temple, sending the man back up into the air, "Screw you!" Kakarot shouted without following up the hit.

Vegeta slammed into the ground, skidding flat on his back. The ring cracked, crumbling into a trail of debris that tracked his body. For a long moment, the man laid there as Kakarot huffed not with exhaustion, but with anger.

"If now's not the time for it, then when the fuc-k is?"

Kakarot's voice cracked as he cursed, catching the attention of the only contestant in the tournament watching the fight.

Standing off to the side, alone now that Gohan had left, Goku felt his eyes widen a fraction from Kakarot's stutter. He had heard that same sound in his own son's voice on a few occasions. The first had been when Raditz abducted him and a year later when Vegeta had grabbed his tiny defenseless body. Then again when Goku had first transformed into a Super Saiyan and yelled at his son to take Piccolo and run. It had been there in the Time Chamber as well when Gohan had imagined his mother being killed by Cell and, finally, when Gohan had stared at him, tears streaking down his young face as he realized Goku was about to die to save them all from Cell.

That break in his voice killed Goku in a way he couldn't even begin to express. The sound of your child struggling with something, in pain, was horrific no matter how old he was or what universe he was from.

Unaware of the peanut gallery, Vegeta pushed himself into a sitting position. Debris scattered around him, but he didn't seem bothered. His two tired, black eyes looked up at Kakarot appearing lost as they searched the other man's face, trying to find something. What he was looking for was impossible to tell, but he was searching for something nonetheless. Blinking after some time, Vegeta looked away and up towards the tournament arena's odd shimmering sky.

"Do you remember," His voice was un-Vegeta like: deep, distant, and introspective. "The sky on Vegeta-sei?"

Kakarot's whole body tensed, the anger dissipating, replaced by confusion, "What?"

Vegeta's eyes flickered towards him, looking at Kakarot with scrutiny, "You were pretty small when it was destroyed," He continued on; eyes still searching, "I always wondered how much you remembered about it. The red sky—the fields—the palace." He smiled to himself, mind returning to a place Kakarot couldn't reach. "Do you remember training—," The words stopped and his eyes flickered towards Kakarot, opened and questioning, "In the Palace yard?"

"I remember training with my mother," He said it deliberately, hostilely, "And the low-ranking soldiers that lived in the barracks underneath our apartment." Kakarot answered, keeping his voice harsh and guarded.

"Apartment?" Vegeta said the word slowly as if it had confused him. His shoulders tensed; then, they went lax. "That's what you remember?" He laughed; the sound was hard and painful.

"Why the fuck are you laughing?" Kakarot was two seconds away from launching himself forward to beat the crap out of Vegeta. Vegeta's eyes raising up to look at him once more, stopped him, however.

Those black eyes were haunted. Kakarot could see the ghost in them: memories that only existed in Vegeta's mind about a time and a place that Kakarot knew nothing of.

"Have you ever considered that a five year old's memory can't be trusted?" Pushing himself up from the rubble, Vegeta looked down absently at his armor as he spoke. It was cracked beyond belief. The short skirt of leather that was supposed to protect his lower body had nearly disintegrated for lack of a better term. The blue body suit underneath was burned and charred black in places, "I was much older. I remember very clea—."

"Shut up!" Kakarot cut him off, charging forward.

Vegeta wasn't prepared for the sudden lunge. The first hit made contact with his cheek, sending him reeling to the left. The next hit struck him straight in the stomach. Spit flew from his mouth mixed with a little blood right as he doubled over in pain. Then, Kakarot's clasped fists struck him in the back of his neck, making him crumble in a heap at the younger man's feet. He didn't lay there for long. Kakarot's foot connected with his side seconds later. Like a football, he flew through the air, not stopping until his body hit an outcropping of nearby rock.

"What do you know!?" Kakarot screamed in the distance. "You know nothing about my childhood! You weren't there."

Laying on his side, Vegeta didn't respond. He had no right to, and he knew it. Carefully, he pushed himself back up for what felt like the hundredth time in so many seconds. The rubble fell away from his body. The tinkling sound of pebbles skipping across rock teased his ears. Kakarot was headed in his direction. The anger of decades obvious to see in the tensing of his shoulders and the hardening of his green eyes. When he had gone Super Saiyan was hard to tell.

Standing amongst the rubble, Vegeta looked at his hands, staring at his gloves. They were charred as well, a few of the finger sections missing, revealing the pink of his natural color. Tightening the hands into fist, he lifted his head and looked towards Kakarot's stomping form.

"I shouldn't have come here." He spoke plainly, not the least bit hindered by Kakarot's abrupt stop and shocked expression. "The way we are—the way everything is—," Vegeta didn't bother to elaborate on that. Kakarot knew what he meant. "Another fighter would have been a better choice for this team."

Kakarot's brow creased in confusion, and he took a step back.

"But you have to realize, Kakarot," The voice was harsh, but there was a softness to it that spoke of deep pain, "That I have people I need to protect just like you." Vegeta continued on, not missing the way Kakarot's jaw tightened, "That's why I'm here."

Kakarot scoffed, "You mean Bulma and Trunks."

"And Bra." Vegeta added, "You missed her birth."

Kakarot looked away. The expression on his face was near unreadable, but in the creasing of his brows, it was obvious that this information wasn't welcome, "You've got a whole family to protect, huh?"

"So do you." Vegeta nodded his head once sharply, "That's why we have to stop fighting. We can't let old pain get in the way of protecting the people we love now."

"Love," Kakarot repeated the word. It was one with which he was very familiar. He had people he loved. He loved Chichi. He loved his mother although it was a turbulent emotion at times. He loved his wife more than anything, and their newborn daughter possibly more than her. "We do have people we love, don't we? People that need protecting."

"Yes."

Kakarot gulped down some bile that chose that moment to lodge itself in his throat. The very thought of agreeing with Vegeta left a sickening feeling in his stomach that he just couldn't ignore. This man had done so much damage to their lives. From the time of his infancy, he couldn't remember one positive memory of Vegeta. The thought of agreeing with, of siding with him, was nauseating.

"I hope you can start to understand, Kakarot," Vegeta continued on, "That you and me, we're more alike than you think."

Kakarot didn't even realize he had moved, until his fist connected with Vegeta's nose, sending blood into the air.

-break-

Watching from the sidelines, eyes narrowed as well, Goku felt his fingers twitch as Vegeta charged. But, unlike all the twitches he had felt when observing a fight that promised to be good, this one felt unnerving. He couldn't explain the sensation at all, but that didn't mean it was unfamiliar. In fact, the familiarity of it was almost irritating.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Goku watched as Kakarot blocked Vegeta's first hit with ease, catching the man's descending foot with a twin x above his head. Then, the young boy dropped down, kicking Vegeta's feet out from underneath him. Vegeta caught his fall on his hand, using the brief connection with the ground to shove himself up above Kakarot's head. Kakarot's eyes narrowed dangerously as Vegeta aimed his body downwards, readying a punch for contact with Kakarot's face. It was caught by the other man so easily it was almost laughable. Within seconds, Vegeta flew across the ring once more, hitting a rock wall with the flat of his back. It crumbled down on top of him, burying him in stone.

Unnerved for reasons he couldn't explain, Goku turned his attention to Kakarot. The Saiyan was growling, eyes never leaving Vegeta, but Goku could still see them. They were teal like any other Super Saiyan, but for the first time, Goku realized that the shape of them was all wrong. His Gohan had inherited his mother's eyes and skin tone for that matter, but this boy didn't have either. His skin was unnaturally tan, and his eyes were narrower. His Gohan had his mother's eyes, soft and wide opened, happy but with the compacity to turn into flames. Kakarot, on the other hand, had Saiyan eyes, dangerous and foreboding, teeming with hatred, unable to see the gentle world around him clearly.

Goku took a step forward. His boots scrapped the ground, and he froze. He didn't know why he had suddenly stepped forward, but he knew why he had stopped.

Abruptly, Kakarot swung around, sending a punch right for Goku, but the older man blocked it by catching it in his hand, transforming into a Super Saiyan 2 upon impact. Kakarot's eyes went wide with shock as he stared into Goku's face, finding something in the older Saiyan's expression that he had never seen on a Saiyan face before: pity.

Infuriated by that expression, Kakarot roared and continued his assault, wanting nothing more than to punch and kick that look off Son Goku's face.

Goku's body moved on auto-pilot in a frantic attempt to not get hit by Kakarot's wild punches. The boy was out of control completely. Ducking underneath a kick that was aimed not at his head but at his throat, Goku brought two fingers to his forehead, using instant transmission to get as much distance as he could from the younger fighter. Reappearing a mere thirty yards away, Goku tried to figure out what the hell he was doing.

He had jumped into the fight without really thinking, guided as it were by a feeling in his gut that he probably should have ignored. He was still far too lacking in energy to take on Kakarot, who for all purpose and pretense was an excellent fighter. Of course, he knew he could beat the boy. He had more than enough time as he watched the fight to replenish his energy. Besides, he had beaten Kardock who was way more powerful. Still, he couldn't help but feel some sense of hesitation.

Watching Kakarot turn towards him, as if in slow motion, Goku couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't raise a hand to the boy. He could sense the pain and the suffering coming off the other version of his son and it was killing him. It was to the point that he wasn't sure if he wanted to fight the boy. Truthfully, every nerve in his body was telling him to do the exact opposite.

_This is my son,_ he thought as Kakarot rushed towards him, _and he's hurting. _

Side stepping Kakarot's next hit, Goku used his hands, his knees, his thighs, and even his shoulders to block the flurry of techniques the boy threw. All the while his mind raced. It raced as he ducked. It raced as he back flipped. It raced as he was hit it the face strong enough for his body to twist around. It raced as he cartwheeled out of the way. It raced as he was thrown to the ground, back splintering with pain.

_What should I do?_ Goku's thought as he did a kip up, landing on his feet for mere milliseconds before shoving his body weight backwards. Kakarot's fist slammed into the ground where he had been only seconds later.

The tournament floor crumbled further, but Goku didn't bother watching it fall apart. He simply watched as Kakarot raised up his head, fire in his narrowed eyes. Still flying backwards and away from his son in another universe, a thought finally tickled the back of Goku's mind. The other Vegeta had said that this Gohan had a family he was protecting. It couldn't be Sagie or even Chichi, the one who raised him. It couldn't be Bardock to which Vegeta was referring. No, it sounded more like he was referring to a wife. That is the only person in the world Goku called daughter.

Throwing his weight down, Goku dug his heels into the ground to stop his body's momentum. It took a second for him to come to a complete stop, during which time Kakarot had rerouted himself once more.

Holding up his hands, Goku waited for Kakarot to throw the first punch. He didn't have to wait long. With a furious battle cry, Kakarot's fist flew towards Goku's face, but the more seasoned fighter easily caught it in his grip. Throwing energy into his own body, Goku hair went blond and his eyes turned a matching teal just as Kakarot through his other fist at Goku's face. Just like the first one, Goku caught it easily, now holding onto both of them, so that he could maintain control over the younger fighter.

Kakarot immediately bared his teeth at Goku who was holding him temporarily captive, "Nice trick," He snarled, "But it won't stop-."

"Videl!" Goku yelled the name, watching as Kakarot's eyes went wide and his face fell.

Then, surprise falling off his face, Kakarot kicked both feet upwards slammed both of them into Goku's stomach. Goku released Kakarot's hands instantly and waited for the next hit to come as he crumbled forward, holding his gut, but it never came. In pain and exhausted, he lifted his head in time to see Kakarot land on the ground a mere ten yards or so away.

The boy looked positively shell shocked, "How," He started as he actually inched backwards. "Do you know about her?"

Standing up a bit straighter, Goku rolled his shoulders back, "Videl's my Gohan's wife too. She just had a baby, Pan." He explained, and by the look on Kakarot's face, the boy had truly already known that. He probably just hadn't put the pieces of the puzzle together until now. "The you from my universe is here for them, fighting for them. But you, you're not."

Kakarot's head snapped up, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"You fought with a member of your own universe," Goku looked towards the Vegeta of universe 6. He was still laying on the ground, most likely unconscious. "If you were here to save them, Videl and Pan," He turned his eyes back towards Kakarot, "You wouldn't dare take the time."

"Shut up! I'm not your son," Kakarot tightened his hands into fists. "You don't know me." He slammed an open palm against his chest before pointing an accusing finger suddenly at Vegeta. "And you sure as hell don't know what that motherfucker did to me and my family. He deserves every hit I give him and so much fucking more!"

Not bothered in the least by the screaming, Goku stared at the boy across from him, "You're right," He admitted, voice surprisingly even, "I don't know you, but I do know the stakes of this tournament for both our universes. If you keep going on like this, fighting with your own universe member, you're just gonna make it easier for other universes to win." On some level Goku realized he was helping the enemy again, but he just couldn't stop himself, not when the enemy looked so much like his own son. "You'll lose everything: your world, Videl. And the only person you'll have to blame will be yourself."

Goku almost didn't have time to catch Kakarot's next punch. It had come so quickly that he could honestly say he had barely seen it. Luckily, his reflexes had always been remarkably good. Blocking the hit with his forearm, he pulled his own fist back to the side of his head, and in a moment of tough love, Goku delivered his own hit to Kakarot's shocked face.

Kakarot spun around 180 degrees from the hit. His feet came up off the ground, and he went backwards a good ten feet before managing to dig his heels into the ground.

Hand still extended, Goku felt a twinge of anger well up within him at this version of his son, "Don't you care?" Goku screamed towards the boy, knowing this had to be what got through, "Don't you want to protect your wife?"

Kakarot froze. His eyes went big, and for all purpose and pretense, he looked as if water had been poured over his head.

"I don't care what Vegeta did or didn't do. It doesn't matter!" Goku lowered the punch, but kept the fist clutched at his side, "What matters is your family, and if you're not fighting for them, then why even bother being here?"

"Stop talking like you know everything about me!" Kakarot fired back, his anger driven not by Goku's words, but by himself.

Sailing forward, he sent a punch flying for Goku's head. Just like before the Saiyan caught it and then the one that followed. The two locked together in a struggle for dominance.

"You can't possibly understand," Kakarot spit into Goku's face, "What that bastard did to me!"

"You act like," Goku bared his teeth in return, "You're the only one in the universe who's suffered!" He punctuated the last word by slamming his head into Kakarot's own.

Kakarot started to fly backwards for him the hit, but Goku didn't let go of his hands. Instead, Goku yanked him forward and swiftly kneed him in the gut. Only then did Goku let go of the younger man, watching as he crumbled face fist into the ground.

"I fought my whole childhood." Goku spoke down to him, voice kind but also hard, "I've sought revenge for the deaths of people I loved, but I've never let it stop me from protecting them! I would never let it blind me!"

Kakarot's eyes snapped opened at the words, and he managed to lift up his head. Goku towered above him, eyes sharp, and focused, but somehow so understanding that it made Kakarot feel a bit sick to his stomach.

Goku shot into the air, hair flying as wind rushed around him. "Because I know why I fight," Goku put his hands to his side, "I know what makes me strong!"

Something in Kakarot snapped, he launched himself upwards, the pain of a lifetime clouding every single part of his brain.

"Kame," Goku's voice filled the ears of everyone in the arena and beyond, "Hame—," The energy around his hip twirled and trembled as he gathered it all together, "Hame!"

Kakarot roared in response, forming a ball of energy around his entire body.

"Ha!" Goku unleashed the energy he had built, sending it towards Kakarot in a rush of heat.

Kakarot's roar continued on as he rushed forward, twin punches of energy fully prepared to take on the impossibly large collection of energy. It hit him dead on, the force of it like nothing he had ever known in his life. His eyes widened as the realization of that rocked his very core.

Above him, Goku continued to shove as much energy as he could into the wave, pushing all of it into Kakarot that he could. Kakarot's arms buckled; his eyes widened in shock. The face of Goku on the other side of the energy wave made his stomach knot. The confidence in that man's face was overwhelming, but that wasn't the part of Son Goku's expression that made Kakarot's arms finally fail him.

It was the unnerving understanding that flooded his face. Somehow, against all odds, this man was looking at him as if he knew exactly what Kakarot was feeling. The man's mouth opened, but it wasn't to scream or shove more power into the blast. It was to say words:

"Do you know why I'm stronger than you?" He asked the boy, affection brimming on his face, "It's because I don't fight over the past." His eyes flickered this way and that to the people in the stands, to Piccolo and Gohan fighting a man who looked like a rabbit, to Vegeta fighting a strange animatronic thing, to the people only in his head. "I fight to protect the future of the people I love. I can't fail them. I won't." He smiled down at his son from another universe; the expression was undeniably sad, "And that makes me stronger than you."

And that—that made Kakarot's arms give out.

The power of Son Goku's blast overwhelmed him. He could feel the energy sinking into his flesh, burning and ripping and tearing. His body was sailing backwards, nothing but empty air separating him from elimination. It would only be a matter of time, seconds maybe, and he would fly over the edge. Closing his eyes, accepting it, Kakarot felt tears fill up his lashes.

He had failed Videl.

He had failed his daughter.

He had failed his Okaa-san.

He had failed his Ma.

He had failed his brother.

He had failed everyone and everything.

The entirety of the universe, including himself, because of his attachment to the past. He couldn't let go of things that just needed to go. Things that were nonconsequential now. Vegeta had been evil. Vegeta had been under some dark wizard's control. Vegeta had hurt him, hurt Chichi, hurt his brother, hurt his mother, both physically and mentally. He had destroyed everything so completely that it was impossible to fix the pieces. But that was the past; it had no bearing on the future.

Suddenly, hands touched his back, breaking up his thoughts. They were warm and familiar, but he couldn't remember quite where he had felt them before. And they were shoving him, throwing him forward. The energy of Son Goku's Kamehameha wave disappeared and the cool air of the void took its place, followed by rocks trying to embed themselves in his shoulder and cheek. His body came to a halt moments later, and he blinked hazy eyed only to realize—

—he was still in the ring.

-break-

Bardock dropped down in his seat once more, his body giving out, voice hoarse from screaming at his brother, trying to get some sense in the boy's head. There was no doubt that Kakarot would have been eliminated in Son Goku's Kamehameha wave. It had no doubt been impossible to stand up against.

"Da—," Before the curse could fully leave his mouth, Vegeta suddenly appeared at Bardock's side.

Jumping nearly out of his skin, Bardock fell backwards on top of Krillin. The much shorter man shouted and tried to dislodge himself from Bardock, but the younger man was in too much shock to respond.

"Oi!" Krillin yelled, pushing at Bardock's insanely heavy body. For someone so skinny, it seemed impossible for him to weigh what felt like 5 tons. "Get off!"

Bardock still didn't hear him. He was staring at Vegeta who was looking down at his torn clothes without saying a word. Around him, the members of universe 7 were staring in amazement at the appearance of universe 6's Vegeta. A certain amount of fascination was present on Tien and Master Roshi's face. After all, this Vegeta and Universe 7's Vegeta seemed wholly opposite. Their Vegeta was vicious and downright unstoppable when he put his mind to something. This one though was—for lack of a better term—milder. He was almost meek in a way and his whole body seemed to hunch with a deep, unnerving melancholy. It pervaded every part of him.

Finally, Bardock pulled himself up off the struggling Krillin, blinking at Vegeta's decimated form. His armor was ripped to shreds, only enough left to cover his modesty. His hair was messy, sticking up in all directions, and his skin was bright pink, burned in spots from the energy wave.

"You," Bardock spoke, not realizing that the angels were taking a great interest in his words, "You saved him from elimination."

Vegeta tightened his hand into a fist and turned his head just enough to the side that he could look at Bardock, "You're surprised?"

Bardock opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped himself short. Eyes narrowing, his resemblance to Goku faltered. Squinting as he was, he looked oddly familiar in a way, but at the same time, like a completely foreign man. It was almost as if the z-fighter's present could imagine Goku looking that contemplative but couldn't recall that particular expression ever crossing his face. It was too tense, too focused, and too tainted with anger to belong to Goku.

"Why?" Bardock finally managed to speak.

"He's stronger than me," The Vegeta of universe 6 explained, voice even yet suspiciously soft. "Our chances of winning are better if he is in the tournament. It was only logical to save him."

Once more, Bardock opened his mouth only to shut it before the words came to fruition.

Smiling, almost sadly in response, Vegeta looked out across the tournament floor, towards the woman who was fighting Golden Frieza. His eyes locked onto her, watching as she moved in ways he had never been capable. She could duck and dodge and parry with such precision and beauty that it was almost hypnotic to watch. Long ago, when they were young, he had noticed this grace in her; it had nearly ruined him as a young man.

It ruined him even now.

Blocking her face from a hit, Sagie slammed a foot into Frieza's stomach, thrusting it forward. The creature's eyes bugged out and spit hit Sagie in the face. The woman jumped away from him a fraction of an inch before sending a front kick to his chin. Frieza's chin shot backwards, sending his feet over his head. Breathing hard, Sagie back flipped away, landing a least fifteen feet or so out of Frieza's punching and kicking range. She wiped the spit from her face, grimacing from the feel of it, and without thought, her eyes flickered towards the stands.

Vegeta gulped as she looked directly at him, eyes widening in surprise for a brief second before narrowing. His heart sank, memories making way for realities as she looked at him with eyes that screamed—finally.

-break-

Sagie pulled her eyes away from Vegeta just in time to take a direct hit to her nose. She felt the bones in her face groan as they strained to stay whole from the hit. Frieza's next hit sent her hurtling to the ground. Her back snapped upon impact, pain exploding behind her eyes, blinding her momentarily. Laying on the ground, she felt her blue energy disappear, base forming returning, unwelcomed. Immediately, pain flooded her lower stomach, something no doubt had taken considerable damage in that hit.

The rocks underneath her back dug into her skin, and she coughed, chocking on her own blood as it bubbled up her throat. Trying frantically to breathe, she shoved herself to her side, vomiting up a combination of spit and blood.

The sound of Frieza's footsteps made her eyes snap back opened. Frantically, she pushed herself up in an attempt to scramble away, but Frieza's three-clawed toes landing on her head prevented her from moving even an inch. Gasping, Sagie threw her hands upwards, grabbing helplessly at Frieza's foot as he dragged her up and off the ground.

"You thought you could beat me, girl," Frieza shook her, some of her hair ripping out of her skull as he did. "But it's just not possible." The alien threw her then and Sagie gasped as she hit a mountain of debris dead on.

Her skull felt as if it cracked from the impact, but as a Saiyan with abnormal pain tolerance, she ignored the sensation. Sliding down to the ground, she felt blood coat her face, body crumbling.

_Shit_, she thought as a wave of dizziness made her see double. _I shouldn't have gotten distracted. Damn it, Vegeta!_

Already hovering above her, Golden Frieza laughed at the heap that was her bleeding body, "Are you really the strongest in your universe?" He asked, voice teeming with absolute exhilaration and mirth. "How pathetic!"

Unable to stop the motion, Sagie let her heavy lids close as Frieza's words swarmed her head. She was feeling strange, off, in a way she couldn't explain. It was almost the same feeling one gets when they hold their breath too long or go too long without eating. Lightheaded and dizzy and off-tilt all at once.

And, even stranger still, her stomach was knotting, lurching, and swirling. Something she couldn't explain or understand was happening to her, and as terrifying as it was, she couldn't help but feel peace washing over her. She should have been petrified, worried for her universe and her life, but she wasn't; she couldn't be.

Because as the sensation of knotting intensified, the dizziness lessened. As the lurching grew more and more sickening, the off-tilt sensation in her body dissipated. And as the swirling progressed from her stomach upwards, the lightheadedness made way for clarity.

Something was happening to her; something she was starting to recognize.

-break-

"Whis," Vados said the name quietly so as to not draw attention to herself and motioned with her chin towards Sagie's already altering aura.

Red was coating her body as it had before. It was streaking her hair, flowing all around her, covering her in a crimson wave of energy. Her head snapped backwards, mouth opened in a silent scream, as the energy swirled all around her, encasing her.

"Again?" The slightly younger angel bit his lower lip and glanced not at his sister or Sagie but at his oldest siblings.

The oldest of the angels were sitting with the universes exempt from fighting. Unlike Vados and himself, they had existed long enough to help guide their gods to create calm, peaceful universes that understood how to exist in true harmony. It was a long process that took millennia to achieve. That knowledge made the looks on their wisened faces even more concerning.

Each and everyone of them looked afraid and worried.

"Chichiue told us," He spoke to his sister, softly, "That if we were wrong, we would pay the price." Licking his lips, he pulled his eyes away from his elder brothers and sisters. "Calling a tournament of this magnitude for this purpose shouldn't have been done lightly."

Vados gulped, eyes narrowing, "We didn't do it lightly, Whis." Her eyes flickered towards Goku as she spoke. He was standing, holding his side. Kakarot was nowhere to be seen. Who knew where he was on the tournament floor by now. But Goku was still standing and his eyes were already on Sagie. "We did it because of Son Goku."

-break-

Goku watched with wide eyes as Sagie's powered exploded forth. It was just as terrible as it had been the first time. The pressure of it on his skin felt like the fires of hell itself. Goosebumps formed on his flesh and he shuttered. The feeling of her energy was odd and made him feel distinctly uncomfortable, just as it had the first time. It created—an urge in him, a need. He could almost feel it pulling at him, like it wanted something from him. It was the same feeling he had when they were trapped under the heart. The need to give her energy and accept her own into his body.

_Why?_ He asked himself as he breathed in deeply through his nose and out his mouth. _Why does it make me feel this way? What's going on?_

The thought barely had time to form in his head before Sagie rocketed forward right towards Frieza's stunned Golden Form. The scream that left her mouth had enough force to through Frieza off his feet before her fist actually connected with his face.

"Goku!" Beerus suddenly screamed from up in the spectator stands.

Turning towards the God of Destruction, Goku winced from the slight pain in his side.

"Why aren't you moving?" Beerus pointed fiercely in Frieza's direction, "Help Frieza! There's no way he can touch her when she's all fired up like that!"

A strange awkward twist in his stomach made Goku's normally gung-ho nature waiver, "I'm not," The excuse left his mouth before he realized he had one, "Exactly in the best shape here, Beerus-sama."

"What the hell?" Beerus' eyes bugged out of his head, and he darted forward, throwing Krillin and Tien out of his way. "If she eliminates him, that will be four members down! Four! We can't have four members eliminated." The God was practically hanging off the side of the spectator stand, his already purple face growing darker and darker as he screamed.

"Especially if I only have three." Champa stuck his tongue out at his brother and pulled down the corner of one eyelid mockingly.

"Shut your fat face!"

"What did you—!"

Goku laughed awkwardly and allowed the brother's conversation to fade into the background of his mind. Deep down he knew that Beerus was right. He had an obligation to help his team. Hadn't that been what he was trying to say to Kakarot? That they were here to protect their universes, to protect the people they loved. Sagie was the enemy. He had to beat her to ensure their universe's survival, but deep down, he didn't want to.

Gritting his teeth, Goku silently began to berate himself, I_ may not fight my own team, but not helping them, isn't that, the same?_ _Wouldn't that make me… _He glanced in Sagie's direction, watching as she beat Frieza to a bloody pulp. …_no better than him?_

"Do something, damn it!" Beerus sounded two seconds away from mulling Goku. If he had been allowed in the ring, he probably would have.

Knowing that to protect the people he loved, Goku had to step him, he started to move. One foot landed on the ground, then the other, and then the original one again, but that was as far as he got. Halted mid step, he clutched a hand against his side. It was strange. He couldn't explain it.

But as he watched Sagie's body move, twisting, dancing in the air, red aura consuming her, he found he couldn't move.

_I can't—._ He didn't finish the thought. It would have been far to terrifying too. So, instead, for the first time in his life, Goku deliberately didn't enter a fight.

-break-

Feeling lighter than air, Sagie spun above Frieza's head, swinging her foot up high above her own head before slamming it down on Frieza's shoulder. The monster screamed in pain as his shoulder buckled and dislocated. The arm went useless, dangling from the muscles alone, the joint now out of socket. Teeth bared, Sagie continued, spinning in a quick circle, leg cocked again and ready. This time she sent a hook kick, full force, into Frieza's head. Her heel connected with the side of his ear, sending him hurtling sideways.

His body flew above the ground, passed other fighters who didn't even pause to watch as his body slammed into the tournament floor. He bounced several times, body flipping and a different part of it hitting the ground, until he finally came to a halt.

Straightening, Sagie's deep, red eyes focused in on Frieza's body. Unlike before, she was aware of her own movement. Perhaps not in control of them, but very much aware that she was fighting. It was exhilarating in a way, not having to think, but your body attacking at absolute will.

Smirking dangerously, she held in a rumbling laugh and started towards Frieza's prone form. The beast was just starting to move, body twitching as he forced himself up off the ground, when she reached him. Lifting a foot, she swiftly kicked Frieza right in the stomach. Immediately, he vomited blood. The urge to attack followed once more, and without her consent (not that she would have cared), she lifted the foot again and sent it straight down onto his back like an axe.

Frieza screamed; the sound similar to a wounded animal crying out.

"Does it hurt?" Sagie whispered, voice working and her only somewhat aware of what it was saying. "I bet it does."

"You," Frieza began to push himself to his knees. Blood was pooling on the ground, seeping from various wounds on his body, "Bitch."

Kicking one last time, she sent as much power into her foot as possible, energy actually gathering in her toes as she aimed for Frieza's face. He shot into the air without a sound of pain, no longer able to actually voice it. Immediately, she materialized above him an energy blast already forming in her hands, but she didn't release it. Instead, she touched her hands to Frieza's exposed back, making sure to make contact before sending the energy into his body. It acted like a defibrillator. Frieza's eyes bugged out of his head and his scream shattered the ring.

Fighters from every universe stopped all motion as they watched Sagie send another shock through him. His body lit up, small cracks of what looked like mini-lightning bolts, dancing across his flesh.

A maniacal laugh left her mouth as she instinctively, without thought, reshaped the energy of one hand. It turned into a blade of energy that seemed to illuminate her hand. Falling towards the ground in time with Frieza's limp body, she slashed, cutting into his skin before taking the other hand, the electrified one, and slamming electricity into his body.

The dictator's voice screamed ragged as he became the victim, as Sagie tortured him as he had tortured her.

-break-

Goku felt his mouth slip open as he watched Sagie continue to slowly rip Frieza's body apart. The man's Golden Form had long since disappeared, leaving his normally white and purple skin red and black from the blood, burns, and bruises she had inflicted. Goku had never in his life seen anyone inflict this much pain on another person so skillfully. Even Frieza hadn't been this good. Blood was dripping from the once powerful tyrant's body from cuts she was intentionally administering. There was a precision to each hit or wave of energy that it seemed sadistic.

Yet, despite that, Goku didn't move. In the background, he heard Beerus still screaming at him, but he didn't bother to take in the words. He could only stare at her, watching as her hair turned more and more red, and her eyes grew darker and darker crimson. Something was taking over her, something dangerous, he could tell. He could feel it, but not because it was coming off of her. Truthfully, he couldn't sense her energy anymore. But he could still feel something.

He could feel something within himself. A desire was building, energy he had felt before, during this tournament, was awakening. He could feel it swirling within him, reacting to her own power.

Abruptly, and without thought, Goku shot forward. He ignored Beerus' loud call of _finally_ and moved with a purpose he didn't actually understand. Within seconds, he was in front of Sagie, hands outstretched to catch her next attack before it hit Frieza.

"Stop!" He yelled as he caught her wrist, trying to hold her in place.

He didn't stand a chance.

Moving with speed Goku couldn't even see, she moved to punch him with her hands still filled with visible energy. Knowing he only had time to wince, Goku prepared himself for the hit, tightening his muscles and bringing ki to the surface to protect his body. But, much to his amazement, the hit never came.

Opening his eyes, Goku's mouth dropped opened as he found himself eye to eye with Sagie. She was looking straight at him with shaking red eyes that mirrored the confusion he felt. There couldn't have been more than four or five inches between them. He could even feel her breath on his face. And in another moment of knowing without knowing how, Goku allowed some of his energy to slip from his hand into her wrist.

She blinked in response; the motion slow. And when she opened her eyes again, they were lighter, the red seeming to dilute. Her lips parted and she blinked again, coming back to herself as Goku's energy entered her body. Feeling more and more like herself with each passing second, Sagie inhaled deeply and pulled her arm away.

Goku allowed her to knowing that it was the right thing to do, "Sagie."

"Don't," She spoke in a near whisper, "You dare stop me."

"I won't stop you," Goku spoke without really knowing what he was saying, which wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, but this time it was more out of his control than just because he was dense. "You can eliminate Frieza. I don't care."

Behind them, Frieza was chocking on his own blood, coughing it up as his body bled both on the inside and out.

"But don't do it like this," He continued, voice surprisingly calm. "This power—there's something wrong with it."

The warmth of Goku's power still circulating in her veins made Sagie's mind clear a little. Her eyes darkened but not dangerously. They simply started to turn back to black, their natural color, "What do you mean?"

"Can't you feel it? Its like it takes over you and you can't think straight anymore." He gutted his chin towards Frieza's still barely functioning body. "You were torturing him to death."

"What if I meant to?" She immediately responded, but her eyes had pretty much returned to normal and her hair was growing more and more black. "You have no idea what he did to me."

Goku narrowed his eyebrows. The words were a little too familiar, "You're right," He felt as if he was just repeating himself, "I don't know, but I do know this—if you kill him, you'll be eliminated and then where will your universe be?"

Sagie looked away from him instantly, knowing he was right, but hating that fact, "Why the hell do you care?"

"Does it matter?" Goku sent her a loop-sided smile.

"Not in the long run." She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms underneath her chest, "So are you gonna stop me?"

"From eliminating Frieza?" Goku scratched the back of his head, "I probably should."

"But are you gonna?"

Goku felt a lump form in his throat. On the one hand, they needed Frieza. On the other, Sagie had pretty much destroyed any possibility of the reptilian providing them any more help. Frieza's body was in horrendous shape. His energy was nearly depleted. And he was coughing up far too much blood. He would die soon without intervention anyway.

"No."

That seemed to be all Sagie needed to hear. Stepping around Goku, she walked slowly across the ring towards Frieza's nearly lifeless form. Blood was surrounding his body, slowly leaking out of various cuts and orifices. Bending down once she reached him, Sagie breathed heavily; her body was starting to give out. In the heat of the moment, she hadn't noticed it. Now that she was nearly done, now that everything was nearly over, it felt so heavy, she wanted to sleep for months.

Using the last of her energy, she grabbed Frieza by his head, yanked him up off the ground, and looked him straight in the face.

"You have no idea," She spoke to his one, squinting, painfilled eye, "How good this feels."

"You bitch—."

She dropped him as she pulled her foot back, up and off the ground before kicking him as hard as she possibly could. Frieza's body flew the short three feet over the ring, but for good measure, she raised her hand, formed one last energy blast and hit him dead in the back. His furious roar filled her ears, and with a smirk, she fell flat on her back.

-break-

"No," Beerus felt panic and anger well up in his chest as Frieza appeared in the stands. The man was in horrific shape, but that didn't matter. He was member number 4 to be eliminated for universe 7, and Goku had let it happen. Furious, the God of Destruction whirled his eyes on Goku, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Get a senzu bean, quick!" The Supreme Kai hastily turned towards Krillin who was already digging in the small leather pouch.

"Here!" The small man handed over the senzu even as he glanced towards Goku, trying to process exactly what had just happened.

"What was Goku thinking?" Tien whispered beside him as Shin preceeded to help Frieza swallow the bean.

Beside them, Master Roshi tightened his crisscrossed arms over his chest a bit more, "That's a good question." The elderly man glanced towards the silent Bardock and Vegeta out of the corner of his eye. Both men were looking at Frieza, barely contained rage on their faces that intrigued Master Roshi to no end. "I think the better one is what did Frieza do to universe 6?"

"But master," Krillin blinked wide eyed at the old hermit. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Krillin," The old man continued in one of his rare moments of true wisdom, "I think it has to do with everything."

"I can't believe you, Goku," Beerus' voice broke through their quiet discussion. "When I get my hands on you, you're going to wish you had never been born!"

It was at that moment that Frieza's eyes snapped opened, body completely recovered by the magic of the senzu bean. Sitting up, shoving Shin away from himself, Frieza's maniacal expression made everyone in the stands scramble backwards including the Vegeta of universe 6 and Bardock.

"You fucking monkey!" Frieza threw himself to his feet, a point of red light forming on the tip of his finger. "I'll kill you."

"No!"

The Zeno's voices were soft and dangerously loud all at once. In a flash, Frieza's body disappeared, wiped from existence so quickly that it was almost as if he had never been there to begin with.

The tournament ring went near silent for a full ten seconds. Other universes, the z-fighters, tournament participants that were still fighting, everyone stared at the spot Frieza had once stood, no one quite knowing what to say.

And then as if aware of the pause, the giant pillar in the middle of the ring moved downwards with a loud thud that permeated the air. The threat of time was greater than the threat of immediate eraser. Warriors began fighting once more. Explosions filled the air. Chaos filled up hearts.

Ignoring that chaos and the reawakening of Beerus' tyraid, Whis smiled faintly down at Goku who was walking slowly towards Sagie, "Did you see it? What he did?"

"He calmed her energy," Vados answered even though the question was rhetorical. "He actually contained it."

"That means..."

The two looked at each other. Twin smiles on their faces as they spoke in unison.

"They're becoming aware."

-break-

Laying flat on her back, Sagie felt as if history had repeated itself in an odd way, but she didn't have time to absorb the feeling. Son Goku was approaching her frail form. High in the stands, she could hear Beerus screaming for him to eliminate her, to redeem himself. She thought she could also hear Bardock wailing, begging her to get up, but she couldn't move. Her body was done. Her mind not too far behind.

Coming to stand a few short feet away from her, Goku looked down at her frail form, finding it odd that she looked so small in the sand made from crumbled tournament floor, "Sagie."

"Gonna eliminate me? Your teammate died because of me, after all." She asked without bothering to move even a fraction of an inch, "I wouldn't judge you for taking your shot—get your revenge."

Goku's eyes widened just a fraction from her choice of words. Then he smiled faintly, but the expression was somehow pained, "That's what you would do, isn't it?"

"Get revenge?" She waited for him to nod before smirking, "Probably. My whole life is revenge. Hell," She laughed and her whole body ached in response, "In my universe, that bastard destroyed our home planet, pur people." She looked up at him without moving anything other than her eyes. They were the only thing that didn't hurt to move, "He deserved everything he got and more."

"He destroyed Vegeta-sei in my universe too." Goku informed, not quite understanding why he felt the need. "I was a baby, so I don't remember it. I got revenge for us though."

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, "You defeated Frieza?"

"Ish," Goku shrugged, but didn't elaborate. "You?"

"I hunted him down and didn't stop until he was dead." Her voice was blunt, strong. "Obviously, you let yours live."

"Actually, he was dead. I didn't actually kill him though," Goku shrugged matter of factly, "I had him brought to life for the tournament."

Those words stunned her into silence.

In that silence, Goku could hear Beerus screeching about Frieza's death and being down four members now. Not as much as some universes but enough to be worrisome. Part of him knew that he should have been upset by Frieza's death in a way, but somehow he knew better than to dwell on it. Frieza would go back to where he belonged, hanging from a tree in a cocoon that would take a million years to hatch a butterfly.

"Why?" Sagie finally whispered, face expressionless. "Why did you bring him back after everything he did?"

"Because," Goku smiled sadly as he spoke, "If it means protecting the people I care about, I'd do anything even bring an evil tyrant back from the grave."

"If that's true, then why haven't you eliminated me?"

The male Saiyan felt all semblance of speech leave his throat at her question. It was the million dollar one, after all.

"You said you'd do anything. So you better take the chance to eliminate me right now while you can," Sagie wiggled a finger, but she couldn't have been sure if it moved or not. "Wait too long and you won't be able to win. Then where would the people you care about be?"

Looking down at her with eyes that were an odd combination of knowledgeable and childish, Goku chuckled, "Beerus would like that." He chuckled. "Can't you hear him screaming, telling me to?"

"Is that what that is?" She glanced towards the stands. "Here I thought it was a cat in heat."

"I know. It's kind'a hard to tell the difference, ain't it?" Goku turned slightly, looking at the stands out of the corner of his eye. Beerus had been restrained by Krillin, Master Roshi, Tien, and even the Vegeta and Bardock of universe 6. It was an add sight, but the strangeness of it was blocked out by the bitter wrath in Beerus' eyes and the outline of the veins in his face and neck.

"So," Sagie felt an odd prickling of her skin, "You gonna do it already?"

Turning away from his universe, from Tien, Krillin, Master Roshi, the Kais, and most importantly Beerus, Goku blocked out their irate calls, "What would you say if I told you I couldn't?"

Not even an ounce of surprise crossed Sagie's face, "Me neither."

Goku's head snapped up in surprise. The two Saiyan's made eye contact, something deep and old, as old as the universes, passing between their unmistakably similar eyes.

"I couldn't eliminate you if I tried." Sagie went on to say just as Piccolo landed at her side. He immediately pulled her up, slinging one of her arms around the back of his neck.

"Sagie-san, we have to get—."

Sagie managed to hold up a hand, stopping Piccolo's worried voice. He gave in but didn't look wholly convinced. Smiling at the Namekian, Sagie turned back to Goku with exhausted eyes, "This is," She closed her eyes, shook her head, and laughed bitterly, "Going to be a problem, isn't it?"

Gulping, Goku nodded and shot backwards, away from Sagie and the other Piccolo. Deep down, the second she said those words, he had felt a strange jerking of his very soul. This was going to be a major problem because the thought of fighting her, beating her, and watching her be erased was damn near horrifying.

-break-

A few groups away from universe 6 and 7, Belmod growled low under his breath. He had seen Goku up close at the pre-view held for the Zeno's, so he had known what to expect. But he hadn't been prepared for the other one, the woman. Gritting his teeth so hard they should have shattered, he whipped his head around to look at the laughing Beerus and chanting Champa. The two cat brothers were way too damn cocky and it pissed him off to no end.

Snapping his head back around, he searched the ring until his eyes lighted on the person he needed. The leader of the pride troopers was in the middle of blocking a series of attacks from a robot creature from universe 3. He didn't appear to be struggling even though Belmod knew he was suppressing his power, continuing to hide his true nature.

_Toppo_, He spoke using nothing more than telepathy.

Instantly, Toppo sent the robot to the other side of the ring by using a simple swing of his overly large hands. Then, straightening, he stood silently, indicating without words that he had heard the voice.

_It's time to take this tournament to a new level_, Belmod ordered cryptically. _Understand?_

"Yes, sir!" Toppo acknowledged on the tournament floor.

_Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Namek_

_This is a nightmare. There's no other explanation. This isn't real; it can't be real_. Sagie's dark eyes blurred as she laid helplessly on the ground.

High above her, the dragon continued to flicker. Only one wish remained. Everything had happened so fast that she couldn't even begin to comprehend it all. Moving her head slowly, she tried to focus her eyes on the destruction around her.

Chichi's body was slung over a nearby rock. A cut on her head oozing with blood. The sight of the body made her whole body tense, but she couldn't help but be proud as she gazed at the nearly broken form. Chichi had fought valently, keeping the boys alive, making the wishes they had agreed upon without any fear. She had brought back everyone who had been killed by Frieza and the Earth before Frieza had arrived. She had done her best.

Twisting slightly, Sagie turned her gaze from Chichi to Bardock wasn't too far away from her. His tiny form crumbled in a heap. She couldn't tell if he was breathing but instinct told her that he was alive. Shifting, pain rushing up and down every nerve ending in her body. Her eyes slammed shut. A sharp inhale of air into her lungs told her of the extent of damage to her internal organs, but that hadn't been what made her eyes close.

She could feel something building in her back. It was a sensation she had noticed many times before. Energy was collecting at the spot between her shoulder blades. It was making her hot, inflaming her skin. She knew that all she had to do was push it a little further and it would come to the surface. Something would be released. Something dangerous and powerful, but she couldn't do it yet. No—she knew the second she did, she wouldn't be able to control her actions, anything.

Ragged breathing filled the air around her, accompanied by the distant sounds of screaming, desperate and broken. She twisted her head to the other side, trying to follow the sound, and her eyes fluttered opened once again.

A flash of light from a ki blast made her eyes flicker towards the distant motions. Far from her position on the ground, covered in blood, her eldest son was fighting. At barely eight, he should have died a long time ago; Frieza must have been toying with him, enjoying the ongoing humiliation of the Saiyan race by playing with the last of its young.

"Kaka—," The name caught in her throat and tears welled in her eyes. The tingling in her back grew.

Frieza's fist slammed into Kakarot's cheek. The boy's body flew, crashing into the mountains below. She watched as they crumbled, but his energy didn't waver. Pushing the debris away from himself, he shot into the air, fighting with the last bits of strength he had left in his tiny body.

"Get up," She spoke as she watched Kakarot's tiny fist miss Frieza. He flew forward and Frieza's balled hands made contact with the back of his neck, sending him back into the ground again. "Get up," She repeated, knowing she wasn't talking to Kakarot.

The dirt, dampened by blood as it was, clung to her skin as she pushed herself up on her elbows. The tingling in here back increased. Muscles burned in her shoulders that she couldn't recall ever feeling. Pain, deeper and more vicious than any she had ever felt, made her stomach turn.

"Not yet," Using the last of her strength, she flipped herself over, landing on her hands and knees with a gasp as her vision went blank. "Control it." She coached herself. With one eye opened, crawling, she dug her fingers into the dirt and grass, leaving a trail of blood as she made her way towards the dragon.

The small Namekian boy was curled in a ball beside the gathered Dragon Balls. She could hear him whimpering with fear. Unlike her, he had witnessed the horrors that had happened here. Nearly collapsing before she reached him, Sagie yelped. Her side was on fire. She could feel the hot, slick wetness of blood dripping from the spot where a rib had punctured her skin.

"You," She coughed, blood splattered the child's back. "Dende—right?" She repeated the name her youngest son had used.

The tiny boy looked up at her, watery eyes telling of the horrors he had seen, "Yes."

Looking at Sagie from between violently shaking fingers, Dende barely managed a nod.

"You can speak the language, right?" She held herself up off the ground by sheer will power alone, "You can make a wish, right?" The energy in her back made her head snap backwards, making her look absolutely possessed.

The boy screamed in fear. The antennae on his head actually quivered, and he slammed his head back down on the ground, burying it in his own words.

"Fuck," Sagie cursed as she came back to herself. It was so close to the surface now that she could taste it. Energy she had never known leaping up her spine. Knowing that she was almost out of time, she grabbed the child by the back of his shirt, ripping his arms from his face as he wailed. "Wish for everyone on this planet," She coughed. This time the blood splattered against the boy's face, "Except me and Frieza to be transported to the planet Earth, understand?"

Not moving to wipe the blood off his face, Dende's small mouth opened and closed, flapping like a fish. On some level, he probably knew that she was the parent of Bardock and Kakarot, and that made him hesitate, "Wha-t-t about y-o—?"

"Don't worry about me," She cut him off, screaming in his face, "Just make the damn wish!" She knew it was unfair to scream at the child, but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop the anger that was flooding through her suddenly. It was like a crimson wave of fury that started in the base of her spine and traveled throughout every pore of her body.

The boy didn't have to be told twice. Scrambling to his feet, he held up his hands towards the gigantic dragon of Namek and spoke in a language Sagie couldn't understand. A glow overtook the world around them as one by one the half dead bodies disappeared with a woosh of wind and static. Forcing herself to stand, Sagie felt her heart clench violently as Bardock disappeared.

Coming to her full height, her head lobbed to one side as Chichi's small frame disappeared from the planets surface. Gulping, Sagie felt a weight lift from her shoulders, knowing the woman was safe. Her son was safe.

Then the tiny Namekian disappeared, zapping away, and Frieza screamed as Kakarot followed.

Turning to look over her shoulder, neck twisting, Sagie smirked. Frieza was close to her, maybe a distance of a soccer field, and his eyes were enraged.

The sky began to lighten, the Dragon roared returning to the Dragon Balls once more. Then, they rose into the air, circling as the magic left them, stones forming in place of mystical orange gold only seconds before they shot out and disappeared in every direct.

"No!" Frieza bellowed and shot after one of them. He caught it easily. The expression of his face as he did absolutely priceless.

"I'm not gonna run away again," She spoke to herself as her hands clutched at her sides. Her back was on fire. "I ran away from you on Vegeta-sei. I ran away from you on Earth. No more! Never again," She clenched her teeth so hard they should have cracked. "I refuse to run again!"

The dam of power broke.

Every inch of her skin felt like it was on fire. The scream that ripped from her throat made Frieza turn to look at her. Whatever he had seen that Sagie couldn't horrified him. Voice echoing through the very stratosphere of the planet, Sagie allowed the tingling energy in her back to flood her body with a power she had never thought possible. Every muscle fiber rippled with energy. Her hair lifted off her neck. Her aura scolded her skin.

Frieza hovered above the ground shellshocked. Even though he couldn't sense energy, he could feel her. Sensing his hesitation, Sagie took a deep breath, steeling her body against what she had to do next. She shot into the air, ignoring every ounce of pain that was intensifying through her, and slammed a punch into the side of Frieza's face. Caught off guard, the lizard flew backwards, feet going up and over his head. He corrected his position almost instantly, insane eyes flashing with rage.

"You!" He snarled, putting two and two together, "What are you?"

"What am I?" Sagie hovered in the air. Blood dripped down her body.

Throwing herself through the air, hand extending out, she moved with speed she didn't understand, slamming into the man who had killed her people, maimed Vegeta in everyway possible, destroyed Chichi's homeworld, masacured the Namekians, and tried to kill her and her children more than she could count.

Frieza came up off his feet from the force of a Super Saiyan's fist breaking his cheek, "I'm the voice," She screamed into his face as she followed his soaring body. "Of every Saiyan," She kicked him in the back, sending him hurtling upwards, "Who died," She materialized above him, leg flying downwards, hitting him square in the diaphram, "At your hands!"

The reptilian didn't even scream as he hit the ground. Roaring, teal eyes swimming with the rage of every Saiyan ever born, Sagie placed her hands on her hip, borrowing a technique from Chichi, "Ka!"

Frieza's eyes opened.

"Me!"

They widened.

"Hame!"

He scrambled to his feet.

"Ha!"

She threw her hands foreward. The energy coming from them exploded forth, so intense and strong that she actually went backwards a few feet from the initial blast of it. Frieza shrieked in fear, but the speed of her energy was overwhelming despite his final form's presence. The kamehameha hit him dead on. Sagie watched as he was flung downwards by it, sending as much of her energy into it as she could. But it still wasn't enough; she knew it wasn't. To destroy Frieza, she would have to give him absolutely everything and that meant, no holding back.

Gritting her teeth to the point where they cracked from the pressure, she shoved every last ounce of power she had into her attack, knowing it would destroy the planet and her as well.

Sure enough, the planet's surface crumbled, the crust bursting, cracking, actually revealing magma underneath. Frieza's energy disappeared, but Sagie didn't stop. She pushed even further, not caring that it was destroying the planet itself. Not caring that should would die. She had to be sure. She had to know without question that Frieza would not survive.

Tears clouded her eyes as she watched the planet's core come into view through the haze of the energy blast. She knew exactly what that meant; she knew exactly what she had just done. The kamehameha wave shot past the now cut in half planet, explosions echoed around her. The planet's furious reaction to being practically decapitated, obvious.

It hadn't even taken five minutes.

But she had destroyed Frieza and planet Namek.

Hysterical laughter built up in her chest as she finally allowed the Kamehameha wave to dissipate. Chichi had told her it was a powerful weapon. She hadn't been lying. Hovering in the air, Sagie looked for any signs of Frieza but saw nothing. He was gone, destroyed. It was rather anti-climatic in a way. Lowering her arms, exhaustion mounting, she watched as the planet's core began to glow, furious at being exposed. It wouldn't be long now.

"I didn't," She leaned her head back, watching the red hit the sky. It looked like Vegeta-sei. "Run away."

The tears that had been forming on her lashes consumed her vision, blinding her. Memories surfaced in her mind. The red sky of her homeworld. The smile on his face as he reached out to brush her cheek.

_"Thank you, Sagie."_

Sagie's heart stopped in her chest just as her body lightened and the planet disappeared around her. Suddenly, she found herself standing in a field under a darkened sky. High above her head, a Dragon's twisting body obsured the stars themselves with its shimmer. It was such a surreal feeling that she couldn't even comprehend it.

"Your wish has been granted," The Dragon spoke slowly but politiely. "I will now take my leave."

Instantly, the Dragon's form was sucked downwards into small, miniture Dragon Balls. Sagie followed the motion with her eyes, both teal orbs going wide as she saw Chichi looking down at the now deactivated Dragon Balls. The woman watched as they rose into the air, circling endlessly, before being flung in every direction.

"Thank you," Chichi spoke as the people around her, the Namekians began to cheer. Then, Chichi turned, her eyes bright in the now brightening sky. She didn't look shocked as she took in Sagie's battered Saiyan armor and her golden hair and teal eyes. She just looked overjoyed. The smile that graced her face was brighter than anything Sagie had ever seen in her life.

"Ma!"

Tiny hands encircled her legs, and she looked down to see Bardock and Kakarot holding onto her for dear life.

"Maman!" Kakarot's tear stained face looked up at her, "Du bist okay?"

Sagie could feel her own face crumbling as she realized, she finally, truly was...

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